The Bonds Of Family And Friends Season 5 Part I: The Game
by BazzCatgirl03
Summary: The events of the game have left an added side effect as the senior staff of the enterprise realizes when they find out that Wesley Crusher, has pushed himself to the point of collapse. As they dig into it they realize there's more than involved then they thought and it involved a piece of Picard's past and one that has now turned it sights on Wesley. Alternate of season 5
1. 1: The Conspiracy And The Mission

**The Bonds Of Family And Friends**

 **Characters: Wesley Crusher, William Riker, Beverly Crusher, Jean Luc Picard, Geordi La Forge, Data, Deanna Troi, Worf, Miles O'Brian, Robin Lefler, Guinan**

 **Timeline: alternate Season Five: The Game/The examination of Data**

 **Sypnopsis: After realizing his friends has been taken by the programming of the game as well, Wesley works at evading his mother and his friends, the away team, but during this he doesn't realize that he too is being controlled till after he ends it and the team decide to end it by finishing the added deprogramming.**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs to me and everything else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Warnings: This story is going to be alternate reality from the end of this episode and forward, as what if the game had far reaching consequences than they were expecting and as time went on the bonds between him and the sextet had deepened even further, as this reaches season seven and his future.**

 **If he'd been part of the enterprise for a following few months and the repeated traumas effect him enough he's choosing to stay longer. But in this story Journey's End to Nemesis never happens and the stories leading into Nemesis never happen and he, the O'briens, Riker, Worf and Deanna never transfer off the enterprise as they stay with the crew and Starfleet after things end.**

 **All characters named that were not in the show, are members of the un-named members of the crew in each episode, but the ones named the most are part of the engineering crew and Geordi's team and the ones Wesley spent the most time with. Aside from a guest appearance from the duo in 'The Naked Now.', and the duo that are his age, next to Robin Lefler.**

 **Chapter 1: The Conspiracy And Teamwork**

Knowing something was very wrong in this situation, Wesley Crusher decided to run a test on his commander, Captain Jean Luc Picard, and knowing if his guess was proven correct, he and his friend Robin Lefler were going to have to have to pull an intervention then. As he went to the bridge, he heard a gentle call out. "Hey Wes!" he heard and turned around to see a boy his age and nodded to him gently.

And the boy motioned with his head and he walked over to him then. "You getting as spooked about this as I am?" he whispered to him and he nodded. "Yeah, Robin and I are getting some work done, if you called me over, you better start faking it with them. Because if this is some sort of conspiracy, rule one, act like everyone else. Just be careful..." he started to say and the other boy finished his sentence.

"Charlie, Charlie Dayton, if the three of us had been together at the time you got into the academy, four years ago, we'd have kept you away from Locarno and before you say it. It's because the last time you saw me, you looked like, for the last month had you looking like your systems were getting worse and you wanted to be a regular student again. It's going to be a very long night if this turns into what I think though."

"I'm going to have to tell your parents a small bit of it, but you don't have to tell me why you look like this. I already know, but Nova is no team at all, it's a pack, a gang, and you're the youngest wolf to join the pack. To get you off that team to recover, I have to tell her the truth and it's we already know each other. I am, or I was, on Gamma squadron, C.A.D. leader of the opposing Squadron." he said and Wesley nodded to him.

"Wes, remember, just before I graduated Nick chose you, before I could tell you Kate and I got the others to agree to let you into Gamma. I became your best friend, before Nick screwed it up, but the tavern, we saw the guys get into it. Before Peter shot the ball right off the table." he said and Wesley smiled at the memory as he quickly answered him. "Charlie, Charlie Dayton?" he said and and the other boy nodded to him smiling.

"Charlie Andrew Dayton, I didn't think I'd ever see you again, so you and Robin got stationed here, nice timing. If Brand chose this as a surprise for me, it's working, I'm glad I got you back buddy, you were my best friend before he came into the picture." he said smiling and Dayton nodded him as he answered him. "I know, I missed you too buddy, you can tell me regarding Nick later, but at the moment we have to focus here."

"If this situation is what we think right now, you better pull the added reverse psychology. Because if whoever this is, doesn't realized that on earth we see this all the time we use that against her, but once you're done with this, get yourself checked out in a self diagnostic. Wes is there a reason you're trying to remain inconspicuous here." he asked and he sighed as he dropped his voice so low nobody else could hear it.

"Whatever reason they're trying to push me into playing it's always when I'm just returning to my quarters, mom's always in the living room. If this means what I think whoever this programmer is, is trying to catch me in the act." he told him and and he nodded. "Well if this was some sort of trap, it's by whatever's in your system is going to hit you sooner or later, activating her only chance at getting her hands on you."

"You may not be up to this, but you don't have a choice right now, she just forced your hand and mine, we don't have a choice but to push forward here. But listen to me carefully, once undercover, if it takes heading back to your apartment. Get medical kit and take a break there, while you're getting a survival kit, but I can't leave the bridge right now or they're going to bust me next and I'm trying to help you."

"I'm doing night duty tonight so I can watch and see what happens here, but we have to do this together, if Data is out, it's us four together, but I'm working undercover Wes. If you're about to do what I think here, watch yourself. I can't confirm without giving myself away to them, so you have to turn on the damn camera in the doctor's office once she gets up here. And it's because our course is taking us somewhere and probably right to the mastermind if this is a conspiracy, so stand by and make it quick."

"But this started just after the commander got back, it hit Counselor Troi next and then after you got back. It hit your mother, if she's the doctor, and it's either Data got deactivated or he collapsed on the job, but from there it started spreading through the ship like a brushfire. But every adult, our age and up is affected by this thing." he said with his tone so low that the other adults in the room couldn't hear their conversation.

"Yeah alright thanks for telling me that, stand by, and whatever you do make it as hard as you can on them. Listen to me, I know exactly what's going on here, and it's because there were two situations involved in this, one that was the reason the Horatio was destroyed and the other the catalyst for the rumors that Derek. If he's still around made up about me here, but to go over the first and that's where you come in now."

"The mission regarding the foothold four years ago, the people that did it were the captain, commander and my mother. Mom figured out a way to break the control and then invented a way for the commander to infiltrate the meeting. The commander was the plant, acting the part so easily it was tough to realize he was actually faking it while the captain was the decoy and with that in mind, we just hit it now."

"Robin and I are finished with studying the damn thing, but we're running a test on the captain. But to them, once back to normal, they'd consider this as a case of teenage mutiny right now on board the ship when three of however many training ensign's they have. Are now taking matters into their own hands right now and one of them is possibly in need of medical attention and with those words in mind right now."

"Mom was the scientist, the commander the plant and the captain decoy, we're going to stealth training. But the duo, and the sextet training you, were the ones who trained me, but that's the fatal flaw, if they're being programmed, the mastermind has my training course. This one is make it up as I go and they're not going to realize it till after I got them, whoever we're heading to meet. But I can't tell you everything right now."

"Robin for sure, but if she gets it, I'm you have to pretend fir a while that you're under their control. Whoever it might be, but that computer program, I created was for this reason exactly, so stand by when I activate it. But I know enough about Daya to get him going again, but with Robin next, it's you me and Data after that and we go from there, but I've been on this ship so long I know their the sextet better then 'they' do."

"And without it putting you at risk, so with that, just wait till I reverse the ambush and we go from there. Because if I'm the primary target on the ship, with my being at the academy, it's making sure this lasts all night and into when we get reinforcements up here. So I'm got a few tricks up my sleeve, you just do your part and irritate them as much as you can man, tonight, because it's going on 8 p.m. right now."

"Just act like you're compromised bro, but I'm leaving a way for you to tell me what's going on. And it's because with both of us having parents that are M.D.'s than it's acting like we've had further problems, but you're my equal. And we have to do this together, so you act like you're compromised." he said and Dayton nodded to the orders softly and he patted him on the shoulder gently then as he straightened up.

And went to Picard's office and activated the door alarm. "Come." he heard from the captain and walked in. "Sorry to bother you, Sir." he said and Picard smiled at him gently. "It's no bother bother Wesley, please sit down." he said and Wesley nodded. "Thanks." he said as he answered him as he watched him carefully as he asked the next question, and knowing this was likely a trap, he decided to reverse the mental standoff then as he tried to keep his gaze locked with him then as he thought to himself.

'Nice try sir, but this is not going to work. I can see the device over your shoulder, you're playing the game, you're compromised.' He thought as Picard went to an alibi. "How are the preparations for the survey going?" he asked him and he smiled gently. "They're coming along fine, but that's not what I came to talk to you about." he said and Picard nodded. "What then?" he asked and Wesley got started as he said it to him.

"There's a game going around. It's one that Commander Riker brought back from Risa, it hooks around the ears." he said and Picard nodded. "Yes, I've seen it." he said and Wesley watching him carefully, saw him try not to shift position then. 'Yes just give yourself away Sir, you are compromised.' he thought as he answered him. "I did some preliminary tests on the game and what I found leads me to believe."

"That it may have some harmful side effects. Specifically sir, I think it's psychotropically addictive." he said and he watched him lean forward at thst. "Addictive, what have you discovered?" he asked him and he explained that as he locked gazes with him as he saw the fear in his eyes then of whoever had programmed him then. **_'Blast it, if he and whoever he was fraternizing with knows, I must stop this from getting out.'_**

 ** _'Or my plan will never work.'_** he saw in the eyes of his captain, and knowing it was the inner thoughts of his programmer and answered that mental remark firmly. 'Whoever you are, if this means what I think, I'm making sure that your plan fails before it gets off this ship.' he thought as he answered him. "The game initiates a seratonin cascade in the frontal lobe of the brain, now I know that's nothing conclusive."

"But it could explain why everyone is so attracted to it. And at the same time it stimulates the brain's reasoning center. I don't know what that's all about." he said and Pixard nodded. "I'll start an investigation immediately. Thank you Mister Crusher." he said and Wesley nodded. 'Strike two, he doesn't always call me that, he calls me by name, whoever you are, as does the quartet and everyone else, they call me by name.'

'Well if you hit the third strike regarding this, and your plan is over before it even begins, because my family is is not getting taken away from me. And not by some power hungry sycophant, whoever you are.' he thought firmly as he answered him. "Thank you, Sir." he said and got up to leave. "Wesley, it's good to have you back again." he said and Wesley nodded as he left, knowing the older man had just put it on.

'Well you're screwed now, because you just committed three mistakes in ten minutes, and with it, trying to correct a slip up doesn't work either.' he thought to himself as he headed for sickbay. 'Charlie's right, I have to check myself out, because if the gets any worse, I've got to correct the imbalance just so I can heal.' he thought as he entered Sickbay and walked up to the male medical technician gently.

"Ensign Danis, I'm just going into the medical exam diagnostics room, I have to check on something." Wesley Crusher said and the nurse nodded to him as he entered his mother's medical diagnosis chambers. "Computer, run diagnostics on me, heart rate, blood pressure, the full work up. And volume level to 2.5 decibels please." he said and the computer scanned him, and after five minutes he got the diagnosis then.

 ** _"Heart rate: 130/90, blood pressure: pre-hypertension from stress, body temperature: 102' degrees, weight: 110lbs, blood sugar level: 305/caffeine level: 475, serotonin/melatonin level: 475/585. And slight indication of foreign chemicals in blood stream still. Diagnosis: extreme exhaustion, stress, weight loss from malnutrition, mild fever from possible virus and acute substance abuse recovery."_** he heard and nodded with a sigh then as he said it to himself gently.

"I'm suffering dizzy spells and muscle spasms, I've had got to be suffering several mineral deficiencies right now, but what. Alright computer, what vitamins and minerals from my diet am I missing and which ones are dangerously low and I need to revitalize?" he asked and it named them all off and he felt his concern shoot through him then, knowing his mother and the trio were gong to kill the ones responsible then.

 ** _"Key nutrients missing are calcium, iron, vitamins A, B, C, D, K, potassium, Chronium and magnesium. All nutrient levels are dangerously low. Vitamins C, D, and K, potassium, iron, magnesium and Chronium. Levels are in the dangerously low and need to be replenished immediately. Patient is endanger of severe muscle spasms and severe case of anemia. Calcium and vitamin D are needed immediately as well."_** it said and he nodded with a sigh at that.

"Damn it, Charlie was right, I'm in no condition for this right now, and thanks to us being on a short time limit, I've got no choice. Sorry dad, I've got no choice, I know you made me promise to tell you if I wasn't up to this automatically but this time, I don't have a choice. Not with all of you compromised, it's draining every ounce of energy and strength I've got to prevent that thing from getting off the ship."

"I've lost my entire regime, mom had me on a specific health regime from the time I was four and I've never broken it. And before I left for the academy, I stuck to it not easing up till I started at the academy, and thanks to the nightmares and being on the squadron. I've had just landed myself in seven months to eighteen in recovery, and this just added on to it." he thought to himself out loud softly as he finished that.

"That's what I was afraid of, hanging around with the trio has cost me two things my body needs and it's rest and the real food my body needs right now. Mom is going to kill the trio when she hears this later here, she had me on a normal diet all my life and now the trio have just about landed me in the hospital. One decision makes all the difference, but I want out of the squadron for a while after this, dang it why didn't I join Gamma."

"Well too late now and with that, though once my folks hear why I look like this, let alone the trio and Geordi's team and the security members I'm friends with. But once they hear this they're going to kill when they're free of the programming if there's more to this than that." he said in an undertone then as he sighed as he finished to himself. "And it's not substance abuse, but over use of the damn caffeine, and my sugar and caffeine levels are ridiculous right now, I need real food and I have to lay off this stuff."

"I've lost weight and my serotonin/melatonin levels are spiking, from lack of rest. God, dad is going to kill me if this turns into what I think it's going to and I have to get reckless in evading capture if this is what I think it is." he said sighing in exasperation then as he hid the printout in his data pad. 'Once they hear what ten months separation is doing to me right now they're going to be pissed right now at this.'

'Why'd I even bother leaving home, I was happier up here, I'm was in much better shape up here, I'm not a cadet. I'm an ensign serving among the stars, why can't you idiots get that right now. I'm not a damn cadet, I'm an ensign, the only reason I came to the academy is to get my training done, and return to my ship, my home. And you're sabotaging me by trying to get me to act like you. Mom, dad, I need you guys, and whatever is going on with you, I'm reversing right now, whatever it might be now.'

'Dad, just what the heck is going on with you guys, I've never seen you like this before. It's like you're drugged, what is going on with you.' he said softly to his surrogate father and mentor, Commander William Riker, mentally. 'Love you Sir and if this is any type of scenario that I'm hoping to god I'm wrong regarding it, I'm doing whatever it takes to get you back. Though if it is, I'm not doing that portion of it.' he said to him softly then as he left the room and tried to get passed the members that had the headset on.

After getting stopped twice in the hall he made it to ten forward finally and walked up to his friend Ensign Robin Lefler. "Robin." he said to her and she quickly looked up. "Where have you been, everyone's been after me to try it?!" she asked in a whispered undertone and he nodded as he knew she was spooked by the behavior of the adult crew. "I know, me too, I got stopped in the corridor twice. I spoke to the captain, he's going to look into it." he told her and she nodded as she answered him at that.

"Well I hope he makes a ship wide announcement or something. Because this is really beginning to give me the creeps." she said and he nodded, before he could answer an ensign walked up to them. "Did you forget your games?" she asked and Robin smiled forcefully. "We left them in our quarters, wanted a night out together." she told her and she took hers off at that. "Well then, use mine." she said and Robin shook her head.

"No thanks." she said and when that didn't get rid of her, the woman tried again. "Try it." she said and he stood up. 'Alright that's it.' he thought as he answered her. "She said no thanks Ensign, now stop fooling around and get back to work." he sternly and he grabbed Robin's hand and they left the table. "Was that really necessary, if this is a conspiracy, you're going to have the entire ship after us to get us to try it next."

"Look I get you're stressed out, but loosing your temper out on them is not going to help right now, Wes." She said to him softly and he sighed. "The entire crew is addicted to that device. You know what else is strange, if this game is so addictive. There's only one person on board we can be sure of that wouldn't be affected by it." he said to her and she nodded. "Data." she said and he nodded to her as he said it.

"Right, and he manages to get injured right when the game is brought on board. We better have a look at him." he said as they left the room. Not noticing they were being watched or that the rest of the room were looking at them with neutral looks then. 'You evaded us once, but it won't last long children.' The group was all thinking as they waited for their orders from their programmer then.

 **Sickbay:**

Looking at Data, Wesley quickly said it to her. "Maybe you should look again." he told her and she went back to check, before returning to him. "The nurse is still playing the game." she told him and he nodded. "I don't know what to make of this right now. There's brain activity, all of his systems are working." he told her and she looked at him in disbelief. "How could that be, he's unconscious?!" she said in shock and he nodded.

"Maybe there's a signal breach between his brain and body. Let's map his nervous system and see if we can find the weak link." he said as he pulled a scanner out and ran it across his spinal cord then. "Patch the neural output to that station." he added, before his tricorder beeped and he quickly said it. "Here!, the signal stops just below his cortex processor. There's some damage." he said finished as his eyes narrowed.

"It's almost undetectable, let's get a closer look. Bring it up on the viewer." he said and she activated the computer. "Wesley look at that." she said and he nodded. "It looks like some of his positronic links have been severed." he said and she nodded. "The cuts are so precise, look at how clean the edges are. Computer increase magnification factor four." she said and it zoomed in then and he thought it over carefully.

"There are only tw people who know enough about Data to do something like this, Commander La Forge and my mother." he told her and she looked at him in disbelief. "But why would one them do this to him?" she asked and he sighed. "There's a reason for it, but it's not just to prevent it from getting out of the ship, there's a conspiracy going on here, but of what kind and why Data is out is beyond me."

"You've been exposed to repeated computer viruses buddy, why would they take you off line, just what is the big secret. Is this for fun or is there something more sinister than this going on right now." he asked him gently, as he checked it out then thought it over. "It happens right when I come home, my entire group is compromised, my friends, my surrogate family, and Data is disabled and why is that?" he asked as he thought it over.

Looking at it from a new look, Wesley felt his heart start pounding as he looked at his friend and fellow Conn officer, Lieutenant Commander Data as he said his thoughts out loud then. 'Oh dear god no it can't, please it can't be, not again, Walker, if you're legacy just make a come back. I'm ensuring that this time your legacy lives on and your sacrifice was not in vain.' He said to himself then as he thought it over then.

"Data, why Data, come on remember there were two situations that year that would cover something like this, the insistence in their voices, the fooling around too much. Alright back to year one: six weeks after we shipped out, I was just beginning to adjust to things and being around the captain as we got used to each other. The nine of us, we were just beginning to get used to being a crew now at the time, we come across one of our ships and then we also all get infected by a..." he started to say and it hit him then.

"Damn it of course! Alright here's the thing Robin, as I said only two people know enough about Data to do something like this. But here's the fine print as to why now and it's, for an android, they get infected by a human virus, their CPU, once it's been dealt with. Than it's going to see it as a computer virus and they become immune to it, this game is the same as the virus we dealt with, that said virus was four years ago."

"And the entire ship got hit by it, I was trying to concentrate as was he and Commander Riker was the last one standing at the time. The virus raised our body temperatures causing us to break out in a sweat: high body temperature, acting slightly inebriated, loss of control of their reasoning, it's a repeat performance of that virus. Back then he was the last one standing and I was trying to concentrate, but now it's in reverse."

"And maybe there's more going on here than we thought, maybe someone is trying to use these games for something other the pleasure. More along the lines of a foothold situation, whoever gave Riker these is trying to cause an incursion, she, or he, is trying to take over the federation." he said and she nodded as she answered him. "Than Data would be a threat to that plan, and only with Data out of the way."

"Would everyone become addicted." she said and he felt his heart lurch at that. "And everyone has, except us. This is no longer just about an attempted incursion into the federation, I know what caused this, it's hitting the sextet hardest right now. Robin the truth is the reason they and every member you met has acted like they were half of themselves now, if you saw a photograph of us, as a single team now."

"This was because of me, to my mother, I'm her only child, while the sextet watched me grow up. The members you met so far: Barnfield, Jenson, O'Brian, and the others, if they all talk about me this much, it's because they watched me grow up. I was part of the crew as a junior crew member, we all were here from the very beginning, and though we had transfers in and out, 70% of the crew was here from the very beginning."

"But this an attempted brainwashing and it's because they lost their concentration, I'm the catalyst I have to break them out of it. Damn it, yes I remember this now, I remember a scenario like this four years ago, it was after the eight of us became a crew. There's two scenarios being played into this: one is a puppet masters notion, that was just before my mother left the ship and the first is the virus we all got infected by."

"And the symptoms of it are exactly the same, but to explain this to you, we got infected by a virus that made us start acting like we're intoxicated, and everyone, including Data got infected by it. Back then Commander Riker was the last one standing and he, Data and I got the ship back in working order, just to avoid an oncoming meteorite, that's as close to this as you can get now, that's the first stage, the other is indoctrination."

"They're all acting like they're intoxicated, you, me and Data are the ones that have to do this. But if this is a puppet master notion, I have to make sure now, because I can't trust the sextet right now, let alone mom." he said and she nodded. "Puppet master notion, have you been in this position before?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah four years ago, did you ever wonder what happened to the Horatio and why exactly."

"We had a puppet master style alien infecting the leadership, and the leader was infesting Comander Remmick and Captain Walker Keel was murdered to prevent that from getting to every one else in the fleet. And he told it to Picard and Picard told this to Commander Riker. Admiral Quinn was one of them and it took repeated jolts from the stunner to take him down as a result, before Riker infiltrated the incursion at HQ."

"And it resulted in a shootout at headquarters and they destroyed the mother creature and by killing her, they destroyed every single one." he told her and she nodded to him at that. "Symptoms, if they match up its a near exact replication?" she asked and he nodded. "High body temper, acting like they're intoxicated, glazed eyes, and loss of higher reasoning. It's every adult over the age of eighteen infected by these things."

"Dad figures that out, and he's going to realize I just caught his being compromised and get one on us. Computer, two mock up copies of the game." he said and two copies appeared then. "What are you doing?" Robin Lefler asked and he quickly explained that to her. "They're going to get us to try this eventually, but we just fake the intoxicated looks on our faces when they do. Whoever is using these to get a foothold in the ship."

"But they catch you without it on, they're going to realize what we're doing and that we're on to whatever plan their programmer has regarding this." he said and she nodded. "What do you mean by dad exactly?" she asked and he sighed as he answered her. "After mom left Commander Riker took over paternal responsibilities, if we were 500 years back, he'd be my adoptive father or just my godfather."

"Though in age, in truth, he's a just short of fifteen years older than I am, but to me, he's like a big brother and father rolled into one, it's having a male precense in my life and one that understands me that way. Deanna my godmother, and the captain my stepfather. Mom put them in charge of taking care of me after she left, and our bonds shifted directions, but the commander is my mentor, and I think of him as a father."

"But here's the truth now, but the duo are my godparents, Commander La Forge and Data are my friend and Lieutenant Worf is my other mentor next to Commander Riker. But our bonds are from four years together and with that, it's taking knowing them better then they know themselves to beat whoever it is that programmed them. If that's what's really going on here and I hope to god I'm wrong right now, regarding that."

"And it's because the quartet are all just short of twenty years older than we are, so acting as surrogate parents and older brothers and sisters. I'm not being put into that position of choosing." he told her and she nodded in understanding at the wording then. "Come on, we have to get back to your apartment now, before they figure it out, because they do and we're screwed." she said and he nodded as they both left the room.

"If it takes playing decoy, we're going to have to do this together now. We've dodged once, we got maybe two more chances. But before you ask what I have in mind to end this. I can't tell you that, it's part of the rules of a situation like this." he said and she nodded as they headed back to his apartment then.

 **Bridge:**

On the bridge, the group in question were discussing things, before Lieutenant Worf gave the call out to the sextet. "We've reached the designated coordinates Captain. There is a ship bearing three two seven mark one five two on an intercept course." he said and Captain Jean Luc Picard nodded as he answered him.

"Advise them of our status. Go, replicate what you need, and make sure that the devices are properly distributed." he said and smiled. "Not forgetting Mr. Crusher." he said and they nodded and left the room. 'You shouldn't have told me that Wesley, now I know you're not playing it, but you will.' he thought to himself as he waited.

 **The Crusher's Quarters:**

"I spoke to the captain sure, but I saw the game sitting on the desk, he's compromised as well, but that's the entire senior staff crew, Robin." Wesley said and she nodded. "Anything else?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah those cuts are so clean, only a doctor could perform them, that means mom did it. But it started with the commander, went to Deanna Troi and then hit my mother, after that, she called Data in there."

"And they deactivated him, I can fix the damage no problem, but whoever masterminded this, was afraid that once he told us, they were screwed. With the fact they've been after us to try it. The order just went through now, we're next." he said as he slipped his on as she followed suit, and they shifted position on the bed as they waited for his mother and whoever was with her to come to the apartment then to check on them.

Entering her apartment, Beverly Crusher and Worf came in and looked around as she had one of them with her then as Worf was carrying the other as they looked around the living room as she called out to him. "Wesley, Wesley?" she said gently and heard his voice answer her. "In here mom." he said and she and Worf look into his room to see him and Robin playing the game and she hid a smile as they left.

As soon as the door closed, they relaxed. "It worked." Robin said to him and he nodded. "We should keep these mock ups with us. We can't trust anyone anymore, not even the captain." he told her and she nodded. "He's been infected, that's everyone over twenty on the ship. And I'm just saying this now, but if the captain is compromised we can't trust anyone on the ship now." he told her and she nodded to him as she answered him.

"I'm supposed to be on duty in engineering. I gotta get up there, before Commander La Forge suspects something." she said to him and he nodded in agreement to that as he answered her. "Alright when you get there, see if you can access the codes for the security tracking system. There's something I want to try, but I'm got something I need to do now." he said and she nodded as she answered him then.

"Wesley, remember law #91: always watch your back." she said and he nodded. "You too." he said and she left, but before she could, she gripped his arm. "Robin be careful, just distract them, they're going to know you're faking it, so just say I asked you to access the codes for the security tracking system if they get to you next. You don't know the team or the sextet the way I do, just leave that to me."

"I have to do this myself, so if we have got company coming, listen to her and once done this is it. But don't worry I've got a few aces up my sleeve, but 18 months doesn't compare to 4.5 years of friendship in training bonds and bonds of trust and family. Whoever this is, doesn't know them in the way I do, but they're all suffering from the same thing, I know what I'm doing right now." he said and she nodded to him gently.

"What do you need from me so we can get Data back online?" she asked and he sighed. "You're going to have to play the bait, we need to create a diversion in this case, I can't tell you where I got the information regarding this from, without putting them at risk, just wait till after we're through. You don't have my skill to get around without getting caught for a third time and you don't know the sextet in the way I do."

"So we just use that against her now, we're both from earth, if this was the third film focused on that mental maniac, you're distracting her. While I get our ally involved and we go from there, but this scenario just went from slightly dangerous to downright dangerous and I'm not going to kid you right now either. But this is as dangerous as it gets at the moment, just trust me now, the roles have reverse at the moment."

"But the same exact situation, we need to keep this diversion going on long enough that she doesn't realize the ship is about to leave their control and end up in ours. But there's a few things she doesn't know and I know they buried into their minds that are going to become useful here, so don't worry now." he said and she nodded to him. "What are we doing here exactly, bait and switch?" she asked and he nodded to her gently.

"Just tell them I told you to access the codes to the internal security tracking system. But rule #103 in a conspiracy: never tell your team mate where you're going or it's going back fire and rule #104: never separate. In this case we're bending both, because the trap just got reversed on them, whoever is controlling this conspiracy right now. But if the captain is one leader, or lead drone, than the commander is the other right now."

"And rule #105, in a conspiracy act like everyone else. And with that." he said and she nodded to him. "I've got to get their attention on me and keep it on me till you're finished with what you're doing. Yeah okay I get it, and again just be careful and watch your back." she said and he nodded. "Yeah you too, honey." he said and she smiled at the title as he gave her a hug as she left the apartment as he locked the door.

"God why did we have to choose now to do this at the moment, my body is over reacting to something, I'm suffering the come down off of this stuff. I can't believe this right now. I can't tell her that truth, or I'm screwed?" he said with a growl then and got to work then, before heading for his mother's office then. 'If the enemy never gives you enough time to prepare, if this is about to turn into chase down, improvise, I have to do it later."

"But first I have to find out who my supposed boogieman is and why they're triggering my nightmares now, if those dreams were about to be focused on what's coming now, right now." he said softly as he finished that remark then. 'God, if this was part of the plan it was weakening me enough they can use me for a biological weapon and I'm at 3/4's full strength, and I promised I was going to tell them I wasn't up to it."

"Damn it, I can't tell them that I'm not up to my best at the moment, I'm exhausted, and I'm feeling like I'm coming down with something right now as well. That's just great, we just figure this out, my body is acting up and we choose now to do this. Detection avoidance techniques, just trying to get past everyone is one thing, but this is getting ridiculous and it just shifted directions." He said as he finished in annoyance.

"Great, this just gets better and better, we're figuring out the conspiracy, and I'm coming down with something and we choose this moment to try to end it. If this was part of the operator alien's plan. Than it's by draining me of my strength till she takes me as the host, but to my parents, once they're free of it, are not going to take this well." he thought with an annoyed sigh then as he arrived at the elevator then.

As he took the turbo lift back up to the engine room, only to find another conditioned victim on board it. "Hey Alyssa." he said to Nurse Alyssa Ogawa as he entered the elevator as he looked straight ahead to see the second security team leader looking at him as he nodded to him and he nodded to him smiling as he relaxed and went to what Will taught him then. "Hey Greyson, good to see you again." he called out smiling and he nodded at that to him as he looked into his eyes then.

'To get past undetected by others that are compromised, make eye contact, make casual conversation, act like everyone else and just relax. Yeah the first rule to make it pass detection with a conspiracy running loose on my ship are these things. And two never tell a possible compromised team mate your plans, otherwise it's going to backfire. I didn't tell her where I was heading that's one step ahead, I just got to figure this out.' he thought as he looked at her smiling as she got into conversation with him.

"What level are you on Wesley?" she asked him and he smiled slightly. "I'm on level ten so far." he said faking the response and she smiled. "I'm on level 42, you know the key right, if you just relax and let go, the game practically plays itself." she said and he nodded as he looked into her eyes then. "Thanks for the tip, I'll try that. Any other ideas, because I keep missing shots." he said as the door closed and he got into conversation.

After ten minutes he arrived at the spot he wanted and smiled. "Thanks for the tips Allyssa, I'll see you later." he said smiling and she nodded as he got off as she watched him as he pretended to walk to the holodeck, but as soon as the doors were closed, he immediately switched destinations and headed for sickbay and to his mother's office, closed and locked the door. "Computer, put up soundproof shields around Dr. Crusher's officer, programme Crusher one." he said and the room flashed then.

"Alright what's going on here exactly anyway, Sir, because if you're acting like this there's a reason for it. The you I know would never try something like this and I'm not losing you to whoever turned you into this, none of you." He said under hs breath then. 'You guys unofficially adopted me after mom left second year, you're my family, if it takes risking killing myself just to free you, I'm going to do that now."

"I love you guys, who's taken you from me exactly.' He thought softly as he activated the radio transmission from her office to the bridge then to listen in on whatever conversation they were about to have with whoever it was and waited to see what the truth was about to reveal as he activated the visual miniature on screen viewer to see what was going on then in the bridge as he angled the camera at the forward viewer.

 **The Bridge:**

As Worf stood at the security console, he smiled as he said it. "The vessel is approaching, Captain." he said and Picard nodded to him as he answered. "Computer, all senior officers report to bridge. On screen." he said and a few minutes later the quintet walked in then as the image of a K'tarian woman appeared in the viewer then. **_"Report!"_** she said and he smiled as he answered her then.

"Welcome Etana, the Enterprise has been secured, await for your further instructions." he said and she nodded. **_"The expansion will proceed as follows, Commander Riker, you will take a shuttle raft to the Cleon system where you will rendezvous with the starship Endeavor. Proceed with distributing the device to that vessel."_** she told him and he nodded to the orders as she went further then.

 ** _"Commander La Forge, Counselor Troi, take a shuttle to Starbase 67, and distribute the device to all starships that are there."_** She said and they both nodded as Picard answered her at that. "We also have opportunity to introduce the game to the Starfleet academy." he said to her and she nodded as she said it with a cold smile. ** _" Excellent, see to it. The K'tarians commend your efforts, Picard."_**

 ** _"Once the expansion is complete, you and your crew will be rewarded."_** she said and he nodded as the transmission cut then.

 **Sickbay, Crusher's office:**

Turning off the transmission, he leaned back against the chair. "I was right, this was a foothold situation from the get go, my family has been brainwashed. Just like Charlie said, first the commander, then Deanna, mom and then Data gets taken out, and then the damn thing starts spreading like a brushfire around here right now. They've been tricked and brainwashed and she sieduced him to get that thing on him."

"The effects of thing before the brainwashing are like the Polywater virus, and this is what it turned into now, it's turned into a video game. Data is out, but why exactly, unless..." he started to think and then looked at a photo of his mother, with Picard, his father and the late Captain Walker Keel and it hit him then. "Walker, Walker was murdered to get him out of the way, because he was a threat to Remmick's plan."

"Walker, Data, Walker, Data, what's the connection here..., wait a minute, Walker knew about the conspiracy and knew if he got that information to the other ships aside from Picard, he was going to either get turned into one or be executed. He told Captain Picard and he and Commander Riker ended the conspiracy by killing the mother creature, but Walker was murdered to get him out of the way." he said slowly as it hit him then.

"They deactivated Data, because he's a threat to her plan, that's it, it's the exact same thing. Expansion, what do they by that exactly unless..., Computer which ships are aboard Stabase 67 right now?" he asked and he read the names. "The Hood, Calypso, Dauntless, Andromeda, Aries and the Cheyenne. The Endeavor is in the Creon system. And straight to the academy in my case, but that thing on earth."

"Oh god, the council, the admirals, not again, there's a summit meeting right now on earth HQ at the moment. The intention is to have it spreading from us to the entire federation. Oh god no, not again, please not again. First Walker and he's murdered because he knew the most about this and then Data gets taken off line and it's because we got another foothold running loose that is about to jump off my ship."

"But why am I the only one realizing this and these things unless..., wait, wait a second those ships all lost their previous captains during the last foothold when we decontiminated the federation before mom left for earth at the time. Walker was murdered when that happened as well too, Walker: Data, me: the cap..., no it's not, it can't be, it's a repeat performance of that and if it is than that means that..." he started to say and then felt his heart lurch as he realized it then as he said it.

"No it can't be, please no, it can't be, not now please, not now. My exams on the Kobayashi Maru exercise were supposed on be when I got back. But I..., no please, to save the entire federation and keep it from getting off the ship I have to shoot to kill or destroy my ship. No I can't do that, the captain and commander are leading this, but they're under her control, no I can't just kill them to stop this."

"I can't do that or destroy my ship, set the auto destruct or shoot to kill, destroying not my ship, my friends, my family, no, not my family, I can't do it. I can't make that choice. Shoot to kill or destroy my home, I can't make that choice now. Dear god why are you doing this to me, I can't kill my own crew members, my family, no, give me another option please, I can't do that." he said to himself in agony then as he finished.

"Please I can't do it, I can't do that, no win scenario, either I kill in cold blood or I destroy the ship. Killing my family, my friends, the kids I think of as my little brothers and sisters, no, I can't do it." He said as he tried to hold it in, before he heard his mentor's voice then mentally. ** _'Wesley if it takes saving us, you're going to have to end this yourself, we love you son, you know what you have to do.'_** he heard Picard say to him and he nodded as he felt the pain in his heart growing by the minute.

"Sir what do you want to do, if you were still yourself, what do I do to stop this?" he whispered and he heard his gentle voice answer him. ** _'Remember what we taught you, if your commanders are compromised and the programmer knows the previous year in tactics and training, switch to alternate tactics. Alternate tactics, you know us way too well, like we know you, use that against her now.'_** he heard his voice say to him softly and he swallowed at that.

'God this is even worse than my dreams right now, I can't take this to. Sir I can't just kill you guys to save the federation. I know I have to protect the federation, but at the expense of destroying our ship or even killing you to do it. I can't do that Sir, give me another option, because I can't take a life, not like that. And not you Sir, please don't make me do this, I can't just kill you guys, please, let alone destroy my home.'

'It's not the previous incursion, but it's just as bad, Sir. If it takes making sure it doesn't get off the ship I'll do it, but I can't just kill you guys to make sure of that, please don't make me do that. I just reached that test and I don't need this right now, Sir please don't make me do this. I can't kill in cold blood, I never took my phaser off stun, since I started working as an ensign when you appointed me to be a member of the crew."

"Please, I can't make that choice to sacrifice all of you just to save the federation, I can't do that. I can't make that choice and not without you or Commander Riker leading me like you always had before. Shoot to kill or set the self destruct, destroy my entire life, I can't do that, give me another option.' he said weakly, feeling the pain in his heart growing by the minute as he heard him sigh gently as he said it, his tone gentle.

 ** _'There's no need to kill anyone, remember what we said last year, if they put you into a position like this there's a way out of it. And there is, just put it on stealth and evade capture till Data is finished, listen to me. Like the wargames in training we ran simulations just to prepare you for what was coming back then, including the wargames regarding the Enterprise and the Hathaway.'_**

 ** _'The Kobayashi Maru, my tactic, that was a training exercise, a game, turn this into a chess game, and pit your knowledge and expertise against hers, the longer the game lasts. Just use every earthborn reference we have, remember, earthborn games, books tactics, of centuries prior to ours. And add them to your Arsenal, test her on this, see what she understands to what she doesn't.'_**

 ** _'The more she doesn't realize or knows, the more you're far more into battle strategy. And her annoyance at being shown up by a human teenager is going to start revealing itself. She doesn't know our childhood earth games, so you use both against her now. She doesn't know anything about earth 400 years ago, she doesn't know that on earth we dealt with situations like this before."_**

 ** _"Let alone that we had an escaped soldier on board the ship. Danar's abilities are that of 375 years ago, he avoided capture by going on stealth she doesn't this, because we forgot that information, use that against her now. But last year she's got your training exercise course through us. But change the sequence, now."_** he heard him say as he heard Will's voice finish that remark.

 ** _'It's okay son we understand, but trust me, listen to me carefully now. Wes, listen to me, you let your emotions get in the way of what needs to be done and it'll destroy the federation. Listen to me carefully, though these things look like they got only two options, or maybe three, there's always another option now. And you'll see it if you calm down and relax, put yourself into meditation.'_**

 ** _'In these situations they're going to force you into that no win scenario, but there's always a choice in these situations. Sometimes they result in two solutions, others three and four, you pick the best option and go from there, but in order to do that you have to calm down, relax and focus in these situations. This scenario looks like it has two choices to make now, but look deeper.'_**

 ** _'You have to focus and stay clear headed in this, I know that this is the hard part, if it happens, and now it has, but you won't need to hurt anyone Wes. Just get Data back online and go a different route regarding training, you don't have to fight, just don't be in the same place for too long. Remember everything I taught you these last four years now, use it and with it remember every scenario that involved a manhunt on board the ship.'_**

 ** _'Four years older and four years wiser in training methods when the time comes now. But the tactics of the year before, that is this year, after you left Wes, are too easy to figure out because she got the last ten months since you left, through my mind. But not before you left, you have to use that against her. Now she knows that our training at the academy is by non violence and different ways of the last 100 years in training, that's from Kirk to now.'_**

 ** _'But not the 20th century, that century was loaded with good ideas and enough to work out in training now, and you've been using that as a steeping stone ever since the Polywater virus. But she and her faction, they wouldn't know that our back history of the 20th century tactics, you have to use that against them now during this situation, son. Just focus, focus on our voices like we are now, if they hijacked us in this when it starts now and it has.'_**

 ** _'Remember what I taught you, 'he will triumph who knows when to fight, and when not to fight', Wes listen to me, your only chance is by turning this into a game, they're going to think they have victory, because everyone of us is compromised. But when or if this happens now, it's taking it into a mental chess game and then deprogramming, but choosing a previous manhunt works too."_**

 ** _"But they may think they know you in the way we do, to beat them, you must use that against them, switch tactics and combine them with alternate tactics, training from the 20th century. She's the said opponent now, and everything she doesn't know, or that we forgot, can be a weapon against her. You're a technological whiz and computer expert, so just use that against her.'_**

 ** _'A true soldier doesn't go in feet first, they think out their movies, plan ahead and then do it. If they don't give you enough time to prepare: improvise, if you don't want to be found: go to the areas that only the engineering and Maitenance crews ever do and finally if they're not from earth a few scare tactics helps in these situations. Use the entire Arsenal if you have to, just don't give up, you can do this, just focus, relax and don't give up, you can do this.'_**

 ** _'That's our only chance to prevent this from getting off our ship, just don't give up.'_** he heard Will add to him softly and he nodded to his voice as he answered him then. "I love you Sir, but this is enough I can't leave now when I'm emotionally compromised. Making this choice is enough, but having to kill you in order to protect the entire federation. I can't do that and I won't, this test was a no win scenario."

"Because they gave you only two options, well I'm making it winnable now. I have to create a third option, but I'm not losing you guys and I won't." he said to him weakly then. "Those tactics were a wargames training scenario, but something from the 20th century works better now here. In fact working it out now, before the fight really gets started is going to be close, but I have to make my point clear with them."

"God I'd rather kill myself than have to live with the fact that I have to sacrifice my ship, my family, my crew, because I'm trapped in a no win scenario here. And one that is going to destroy me emotionally just to prevent it from making it to earth. I can't do it, I can't make that choice and I won't." he said as he started crying silently as he stared at the picture of himself with the seven when he was still a part of the senior staff.

Looking at the eight of them and Tasha in a photograph sitting on the wall then he felt the tears start pouring down his face. "First Tasha, then Jaan, and now my entire family has been turned into plants for some god damn invasion. I can't take this right now, no I can't lose you too. Shoot to kill, I never taken my phaser off stun mode and I'm not about to start now, destroying the ship, my home, I can't do that, what choice is left."

"What choice is left, what choice do I have, but to add a third option to the exam." he asked softly as he buried his face in his arms to think it through. "My entire family has been turned into hosts, and Data is out of commission she's intending on infiltrating the entire federation. No I can't kill anyone, but maybe I don't have to, but how, how to I break the conditioning on them, how. Think, think, how do I do it exactly."

'He will triumph who knows when to fight, and when not to fight.', I don't have to use weapons. I just have to turn this into a game of stealth, and not get taken till the last minute. Game of stealth, game of stealth, we dealt with a couple manhunts, but who do I choose, come on think." he said to himself as he looked at the photograph of the nine of them when he was fifteeen and the second after his mother returned. "No guys, god don't do this, you taught me everything I know these last five years."

"But you have to fight this, don't leave me. Sirs four years, our bonds are so strong, I'm not giving you up. I stayed up to your birthday Commander, because I wasn't ready to just leave home, not yet, I'm homesick, I need you guys still. No I can't quit, I can't let her take my entire family, I have to stop this, but..., even if it means another injury I'm stopping this now." He said weakly feeling his heart tear at what he just heard then.

'The entire sextet had been taken over, Data, I need you friend. Data, me and Robin, if my mate is taken I'm the last human standing now. No, no I'm not getting taken, you want a war Etana you're going to get one now. You're not taking my family and you're not going to win, not if I have anything to say about it, you're never taking me alive Etana.' he thought in agony then as he sat there and closed his eyes to focus.

 **The Engine Room:**

Robin, working on what Wesley suggested, was sitting there, not realizing she was being watched. Watching her from behind, William Riker nodded as a security guard walked into the room and nodded to her as he looked at him. 'Come here, but keep your voice down.' He said to him with his eyes then and he nodded to him as he walked to him and he, Worf and lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge went into a huddle then.

"Found Crusher, he's in the turbolift with Nurse Ogawa, he's carrying his, but he's in conversation with her. He also made eye contact with me when I spotted him in the elevator and gave me a nod of hello and called out to me when I was looking at him. They're talking about the game at the moment, strategies in how to play, but I'm not sure where he got off Sir." he said and he nodded as Worf look at her at that remark.

"I saw him and Lefler here playing theirs in his quarters earlier. But if she's acting this nervous around us now..." Worf said to him and he nodded to him and they all looked at her. "After the last conspiracy regarding Remmick, I think he knows this already, but when I was acting compromised that first time I had to act like everyone else. Till I revealed that I was still myself when we stunned Admiral Aaron at the time, as to that."

"She's acting nervous, not letting her guard down and is not making eye contact with anyone, not getting into conversation and is letting her behavior give herself away, she's not playing it. Well if that tells me anything she's faking it to get by undetected. For gods sakes, you want to get by undetected, relax, make eye contact and above all act like everyone else." Will said and they nodded in agreement as he crossed his arms at this.

"He's gotten by undetected twice Sir, first by dodging me and his mother, and then by doing it with Lieutenant Greyson next. If that tells me anything, he's using everything he learned from you regarding conspiracies at the moment." Worf told him and he nodded in agreement as he answered him. "We have to be sure of that, but loss of temper is a slight factor he's got a lot on his mind, I'll let that go right now, but whether or not he's faking it is my concern as to that right now. To avoid detection he's acting on the rules."

"If he's getting into conversation with Alyssa right now, than he's using what I taught him regarding conspiracies right now, he's also been serving on the front line, before leaving for the academy. But she's a rookie, and just graduated and joined the crew, alright, he knows what he's doing, but she doesn't and with that, he's acting on everything we ever taught him, but if he's doing that, he probably knows, but she's faking it right now."

"She knows what's going on here, that's why she's so nervous, but we have to get every adult on the ship so no one realizes what's going on till it's too late now. If she's getting nervous, it's because she's surrounded by members that are compromised, and without him watching her back. And that's another rule broken: you don't want to get captured and exposed, never separate from each other." he said and looked at the trio firmly.

"Ambush situation, we're letting know she got found out. If it takes doing this in a tag team fashion she's not getting passed us and with that. Wherever he is I bet she knows and once we find out. If he's acting like she is and he's the last one of our ship to get taken now." he said to the trio softly. "Should we just let her give herself away now Sir?" the guard asked and he nodded to him. "Yes, we're letting her blow her cover."

"Spread out though, just wait till I tell you to move in on her." He said in a whisper and they nodded as they broke up and he looked at her. 'So you really thought I'd fall for the old 'do as the majority do' ploy here just to escape detection, young lady. If Wesley reported the side effects of the games to the captain, you're the other piece of that. You're faking it, but not for long.' he thought as he saw the game sitting next to her.

And nodded, knowing she was trying to act like them, but her nervousness spoke volumes to him and he hid a knowing smile. 'Thats the catch, everyone playing the game is too busy playing and not working on their responsibilities right now. But you are, your evasiveness, your nervousness about being around the rest of us. You're faking it and not making eye contact with the rest of us. You just gave yourself away.'

'You're first and once done you're telling me what he has planned now.' he thought as he gestured to Worf and Geordi then. Hiding a smile, Robin knew their programmer had taken the bait then. 'Yeah that's right, I'm on to your plans right now, but unfortunately for you he never told me where he was, what his plans are and whether or not he can get Data back on line and we're always three steps ahead of you.'

'You screwed up, if the captain is one, then you, commander, are the other and the entire sextet is compromised. It's too late, whoever you are, we know your plans and though I'm the sheep leading you in, the primary target is going to free me long before that virus of yours gets off this ship.' she thought as she kept up the nervous reaction as she felt their eyes on her as she waited for them to call her bluff then.

Trying to concentrate, she felt her senses go on the alert, before feeling someone catching her by the arm. 'Times up Wes, I'm taken, I'm compromised now. Honey just hurry up now, the games have begun.' she thought as she looked into his eyes as she saw the icy smirk of his programmer in them. "You really thought we wouldn't figure it out Lefler?" Will asked her firmly as he went on. "Here's a piece of advice: you want to keep from getting figured out, act like everyone else and make eye contact with them."

"Because in situations like this there's two pieces to it so rule one in evading capture: you want to escape detection, don't tell the person running the show you figured it out and two. Act like everyone else: make eye contact, get into casual conversation and relax, because you don't and you gave yourself away. You just graduated from the academy and you're still unexperienced in working on missions."

 _"_ I know him too well and I know how he thinks, as he does in my case and theirs, but you. You haven't been here long enough to learn these things or learn that much about us. Since the rendezvous I've had security teams watching you two, and of the two of you, Wesley knows how to avoid detection till the last minute and with those words." he said as he smiled coldly at her then and she said it with a cold look of defiance then.

"And ones that require you to know these things. You see I've known Wesley all his teenage life since we met and I know how he thinks. As to how and why, it's because I've trained him for three years, before he joined you at the academy. I know him too well and I know how he thinks, as he does in my case and theirs, but you, you haven't been here long enough to learn these things or learn that much about us."

 **"** Whatever you plan to do it won't work, whoever your leader is, we know this is an attempted incursion, 'Sirs'. But your plan only succeeds if you get everyone on the ship, well you may say you know him. And by use of your hosts, but you don't, but you already made 8 mistakes. He knows you possessed his friends and his mother, you're screwed here." she snapped back at him, and he smirked at that as he answered Her.

"You just gave yourself away, you two are the only ones left young lady, you're first." he said and hearing that she struggled to get away from them as they got hold of her. "No, let me go!" she shouted, faking the reaction as they held her still as he got it on her. 'Wesley help, let me go, let me go, Wesley help!' she screamed out mentally, as she stood up stood up and tried to bolt, before they caught her and got her back in the chair.

As Worf caught her shoulders to keep him in the chair. "Hold her steady." Will said and he gently caught her neck and hold her head still then. **'** No, no, don't do this, let me go, don't do this, fight them, Sirs, Mam, fight it, don't do this fight them." She thought desperately at that remark. 'I know I'm faking this for for training sake, and making it clear this is about to turning into a survival and stealth game until he's done.'

"But this is too much, guys fight it, fight her, don't do this.' she thought to them quickly. "It's okay, it doesn't hurt, you'll like it I promise you." Barnfield said to her soothingly and she swallowed hard at that as she looked at the sextet, as she answered that remark. 'Not if it destroys you, turns you into drones, you'd never do this if you're yourselves, I know you're in there. Guys, please, don't do this, fight her, come back to us, fight her.'

'I know I'm stage acting here, regarding being the bait for them, but seeing my friends and crew mates like this, this is too much right now, guys don't do this. I know you, our you, is getting stronger every minute, fight her, fight her, I know you missed him since he left. But for him, for me, you have to fight this, fight them, whoever they are.' she thought to herself in a add on tonyhat remark as she looked at him in fear.

Feeling them get it into position around her head and seeing her friends like this she felt her fear getting stronger in that moment. And getting worse by the minute as she closed her eyes. As they heard the character's next orders knowing they were about to force her to start playing it. "No!" she said desperately as she tried to get free. "Her eyes." she heard from Will, as she felt someone open her eyes as the game played it self out out.

'Miss the shots, I do that whatever this is can't infect me, if it only works by scoring the shots into those cones, I have to miss as many as possible.' she was thinking quickly before she saw it. 'Oh no, how am I so to miss with the added cones, alright don't panic, just start chucking them everywhere, but the cones.' she thought to herself then as she started throwing the frisbees in different directions then at that.

Before, to her shock, the cones zoomed into place to catch the first as she jerked, before she tried it again. And the one just behind it moved into place to catch the second as she got hit again. 'No I'm not giving in.' she thought quickly, just as the effects of the game were hitting her. "No!" she said weakly as the effects started getting to her. As she tried to throw it over the cones and one of them backed up to catch it then.

'No hang on Wesley, they don't realize we fixed Data, or that Charlie and we are doing this together, hang on my love, hang on don't quit on us just keep fighting. You never taking us all alive I promise you, you bitch.' she said fighting it hard as dose, after dose, kept going into her system draining her resistence to the effects. As she felt someone pushing hard to get into her heard as she kept trying to fight it of thrn

As she heard Barnfield say it gently to her. "That's it, just let yourself go." she said as she was trying to fight the effects as her will got weaker. Before she threw one last one and it caught it as she jerked for a final time, as whoever was on the opposite end shoved their way into her mind. And fell forward at that, before standing up at that. "Report, what's going on here exactly!" he asked her sharply and she explained it to him then.

"He knows you're all compromised and you turned off Data, I'm not entirely sure where he is or what he's planning, but he asked me to access the codes for the security tracking mainframe." she told him and he nodded firmly. "I think he was watching the conversation, but through the camera, he possibly knows we're compromised. But we can't let that information get off the ship." Worf told him and he nodded in agreement.


	2. 2: The Chase And The Manhunt

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs tome and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Chapter 2: Conspiracies, The Chase and And Mind Games**

 **The Engine Room:**

"If he's coming in here any minute, that's our chance to finish this." he said and Worf nodded in agreement then. "Ambush situation then, but be ready to chase after him, if he knows we're compromised, this is going to get dangerous now." he said and he sighed. "I know, but the younger you are, the more reckless the escape attempt, and it gets to the point where escapes and avoiding detection gets dangerous."

"Alright get into position, we know him too well, but we just have to prevent him from hurting himself during this." he said and he nodded. "With him our best option is by acting like we always did with him, but if he's suffering from fear and paranoia. That's going to be a problem now here what with the fact that to him: with being the only sane one on the ship, his fear is going to reach the point of reckless actions now."

"With us having helped raise him these last five years since we met, we're going to have to switch this around and never mind the phasers. But arrest him by getting a hold of him now, Sir." the technician said and Geordi nodded in agreement to his thoughts. "He's right Sir, if this was that book, he's going to react like we're the dangerous ones and his alibi, in our eyes, is going to be he's going to have to be arrested and restrained."

"So with that, my recommendation is with us acting as though we're normal and he's the irrational one. The alert is saying he's got to be arrested, because he's hallucinating and catch him, before he hurts himself. This way we can do this by preventing him from trying anything too dangerous or reckless. Which is our primary concern now Commander." Geordi said to him and he nodded to him as he answered him.

"Alright you better report to the bridge, if this results in a manhunt and chase down, I want you at the computers to monitor where and which direction he's taking. And recommend that to the captain." he told him and he nodded. "Aye Sir." he said and left the room and they moved to both sides of the reactor to get into position then and waited for him to come to them.

 **The Debrief And Chase Starts:**

Standing up he looked at Data, and got ready to end it them, but just as he did it, several jolts of pain shot through him as he fell to his knees. "No what, what's happening to me!" he said through clenched teeth as he fell against the desk. And as quickly as it started, the pained stopped as he straightened up. "No I don't time for this." he thought out loud as he grabbed a computer chip and downloaded all the information he gained.

"Data, I have to get this to Data and get him up and running." he thought then, though as he did it a second spasm hit him then, the pain even worse this time. 'No not now, please, I don't have time for this.' he thought clutching his stomach. 'Stop, make it stop." he thought out loud as a third jolt him him then. 'No I stopped taking them, not now!' he thought as he fell into the wall, before the pain gave out as he stood up.

'I have to get to Data, before that happens again.' he thought quickly then as he got up. "Data, you're the science and medical officer I have to get this to him, now!" he said shaking as checked his complexion in the bathroom on the side of her office and nodded. "I'm looking like someone who's suffering a high grade fever or just on the withdrawal and rebound from narcotics." he thought out loud weakly as he quickly left the room.

"Alright, I'm passed detection, I have to get get into the med lab, I have to get Data back on line, we have to stop these things from getting off the ship now." he thought as he got to work then after fifteen minutes he had his best friend back on line and ten minutes later he woke up finally. "Data the entire ship has been taken over by the K'tarians." he said and Data nodded. "What are the symptoms to this device exactly?"

"And..., what's wrong Wes, you look like someone hurt you emotionally?" he asked and he sighed. "The entire team is compromised, not just the trio, but the entire sextet, O'Brien, Bates and the others, they all got hijacked. It's Etana, though I don't know her last name. But she got to the entire ship. Robin and I are the only ones who haven't been compromised yet." he told him and he nodded as he finished with a sigh.

"We yanked a bait and switch here regarding Etana, Robin pulled the sheep lead in trick to keep her attention on her, while I got you operational again. But I think that there's more than one conspiracy going on, because whoever the new guard is, he looks Radue. And second there's three scenarios of the first year breaking down the door here right now, and those nightmare feel real right now as well too, but the issue in my case."

"It's repeated nightmares about you guys, to put this bluntly I'm homesick and this hag, whoever she is, just turned our entire crew into drones. And for another incursion into federation, it's Remmick and Walker Keel all over again, but I'm not killing anyone to prevent it from getting it off of the ship. But that sums it up, first Tasha, than Jaan, my capture by the Aldea and now this." he told him and he nodded with a gentle look.

"Data here's the rest of it, but my exams of the Kobayashi Maru have just started, just prior to returning home now. I've just been handed the real thing, no win scenario and I'm handed two choices here, shoot to kill or blow the ship. I can't do that, with over 1,135 people on board, Keiko just had her daughter barely two months ago, and we have families on board this ship, and everything I know is right here."

"Robin and I just got together, but family, friends, my life, everything I know is right here on the enterprise. Five years together and to have to go through a choice like this, shoot to kill or just destroy it to protect the federation, I can't make that choice. By having you back online, I'm not alone, but I need a way to deal with this, you took this test, I..., I need a third option now." he told him and he nodded as he gently gripped his arm.

"I understand and this is and was a test and you were passed two options and a choice you shouldn't even be given right now. The quartet are going to agree when I say this, but after this situation you need to be here to recover emotionally from it. And because you're emotionally compromised now as a result, because the ship and crew in question happens to be your own and that's the cruelest thing an opponent can do right now."

"It's alright though Wesley, you won't have to now, you're not alone anymore and there is a third option to take now and with my back to full power we can ensure that this person whoever it might be never wins at her planetary strategies now. But whoever this person is has me beyond furious now. We've known each other so long, I'm not having you destroyed emotionally just so we can prevent it from getting off the ship."

"This is one situation that is hardest in simulation, but having your crew and ship being the ship and crew in question is beyond cruel and with that. I'm making sure you don't have to make that choice right now. I'm back on full power and we can finish this together now, but that third option is easy now, just go on stealth in a game of stealth and wits, we've dealt with manhunts just use the one most memorable now."

"You and Captain Picard played that game together repeatedly, just turn it into the real thing and combine it with another scenario Wesley." he said and Wesley thought it over and smiled. "A game of chess, of course why I didn't think of that before, alright we got into a chess game once and it was during a previous manhunt. Roga do you suppose, he had his life signs blocked when we got him aboard?" he asked and Data nodded to him.

"That works much better emotionally, but hearing this, once they're free of her influence, is going to make them furious, at what seeing this is doing to you emotionally right now. So much so that it's better you stay home till you're recovered from it physically and emotionally and with those words in mind now. The physical part is something I need to ascertain, because you're looking slightly ill right now." he said and finished gently.

"Anything though else, you're covered in sweat Wesley?" he asked him softly and he nodded. "Massive dizzy spell earlier Data, it's not that game, I been prescribed caffeine pills that I stopped three months ago, but I just got hit by a jolt a bit ago, it's the pained jolt of going into withdrawal. It's like the toxins are still in my body right now." he said and Data nodded as he carefully looked him over his tone going concerned then.

"Anything else you need to tell me, because though you stopped taking the drug, you're looking like you were after Jaan, you're running a temperature too?" he asked him and he sighed as he wiped the sweat off his brow then. "I'm not entirely sure Data, but if it's part of the K'tarians plan. And the subterfuge for my arrest, so they can get to me next, if they got to Robin, than its going condition three, medical alert at the moment."

"However Medical topics we can go into later, but to be frank I was in much better shape when I was home at the moment and frankly. This just made it even worse, I lost four months of rest because I keep dreaming about you guys. And those jolts hit me three times in mom's office, whoever is involved in this is setting me up to become the lead character in that storyline **_'The Puppet Masters'_**." he told him and he nodded as his eyes narrowed gently at the news as he scanned him and his eyes narrowed at that.

"Slight fever, stomach pains, dilated pupils, irregular heartbeat, your body is reacting like its on a narcotic withdrawal right now, Wesley. And you're correct, we don't have time for this if the security of the federation is at stake right now." he said to hm and he nodded. "They see me looking like this it's going medical alert, condition three Data, just for a viable reason to arrest me now, because the side effects of going into withdrawal."

"Those side effects having you looking so feverish that you're looking like suffering delirium from it here. In their eyes, we figure this out and we're choosing now to do this when I'm having my system acting up right now, just before the climax of this situation. This ship is 42 decks and having a manhunt get started when I'm looking like I'm coming down with something is enough of a problem in their eyes with their conditioning."

"Can you can take the edge off the pained jolts though, not to mention the headache?" he asked and Data nodded to him as he grabbed three different ampoules. And combined them together and gave it to him. "Data since I joined my squadron, I lost key nutrients in my system I need, I think this could be a combination of sleep deprivation, anemia, and possibly stimulate withdrawal recovery that's causing my body to go crazy." he said and Data nodded as his tone went concerned as well as stern then.

"You mean to tell me that whoever in your squadron is responsible for this. Your team leader is not paying attention to your physical health right now and neither are your room mates, the R.A., your counselor, or the nurse?" he said slowly and Wesley nodded and he nodded with a firm and stern look on his face. "Well someone is being put on report for that when I, and the others are seeing this, when the people currently taking care of you aren't at the moment." he said as he gave it to him as he finished.

"That should suffice now, I've given you something to block the pain, bring your fever down and an added stimulate to keep you going now. If those three things together have you looking like that and your body temperature is slightly high, it's enough your mother is not going to take it well. Because you look like you did when we had Jaan on board. But you're correct, we figured out the whole thing and you're looking like you're ill."

"The quartet, once we release them, are going to see this the same way I do Wes, right after your mother left us in charge of looking after you. But she, Deanna, Geordi, Worf, Commander Riker and the captain are going to see this the same way I am at the moment. But: you just figured this out, you're looking like you're ill at the current moment, had a spasm, and turn me back on, and you fill me on this information."

"And you choose now to end this, with her incapacitated right now and you're looking like you're ill, that's not only reckless, but completely irresponsible right now. Wesley, why didn't you tell us that you were becoming ill when you got home exactly?" he asked him sternly and he sighed. "I didn't have the time to, because the others were already compromised at the time." he told him and he sighed in exasperation at that.

"Well they're going to agree when I say this, but that's the last time you pull a stunt such as this and from now on you're not keeping this from us. Wes, we've gone over this time and time again, you're not feeling well you have got to tell us that, we can dispense with the lecture right now. But don't ever try this a second time, alright." he said and Wesley nodded as they refocused as they went to strategizing their plans.

"Well the quintet are going to agree when I say this, but after this is done with you're on light duty till further notice. And that's not if we have unexpected company coming to visit as well. Because your mother, let alone Commander Riker and Deanna are going to kill her if this drains you completely and puts you in the emergency room in Sickbay. Wesley, your body is suffering repeated dizzy spells because of lack of iron in your bloodstream, you get hit by one, you're going to collapse during this."

"And that could prove fatal if it's near a shaft entrance, so once you get into the bowels you must get to a tunnel section and stay put if one hits you in the middle of this. We have to work this out safely so you don't have to end up in that position. Whatever else is wrong, has to do with emotions, but that's the catalyst now and this control has taken advantage of it now, before we do this at the moment."

"Alright tell me what you have learned regarding this, because with Captain Picard and Commander compromised, I'm now in charge." Data said and Wesley nodded to him gently. "We just entered the first portion of the story **_'The Puppet Masters'_** Data, by that I mean the movie they created in 1994 of the 20th century at the time. But the storyline began with two boys inviting a couple people to look at a ship they found in the forest. It was a hive and loaded with parasitical aliens, the duo got taken as hosts."

"And started letting out of towners into a downed spaceship, the boys were hosts now, and the people start infecting everyone else in town, which is this now, the place has been turned into the town in the story here. Commander Riker is the first host, and he's infected the entire ship, right after they deactivated you. The comparisions are pretty clear here regarding that book, the conspiracy four years ago and the game, and as to how, the three title characters of the story were in a group of three."

"The captain, commander and Walker Keel did it together by dealing with the mother creature, and you, me and Robin are the third trio, but here's the problem. In every situation the person that knew the most about it was either killed or converted and they got to end the fight by subduing them. We just reached it now, in our case, now, you Robin and I knew the most about what the technology does and with that."

"I just spoke to Charlie Dayton, he's working undercover, he's helping me, but that's our ace in the hole. But he's going to tell you and the quintet the truth later, he and I met at the academy and we became friends, before I joined my squadron. But with him here, I'm got my own squadron with him and Robin. But to switch subjects now, the situation turned into a cross between the Polywater virus and the conspiracy after Tasha died."

"I just figured it out Data, this is the same as Remmick, Walker Keel and the conspiracy at headquarters on earth. Etana is Remmick, you're playing Walker and Robin and I are doing Captain Picard and Commander Riker. It's happening again, two situations in one, first is its that conspiracy and the second, prior to this break through now. Is that the second is just after we became a crew." he said shaking and Data gripped his arm.

"To answer your unasked question, this is the same as the virus we all got, exact same symptoms now: high body temperature, excessive sweating, acting inebriated. Loss of the higher reasoning." he told him and he nodded "This headset triggers the same psychotropic effect in the body the virus did." he told him and he nodded. "Yes, I did the rest of the research, but the cure has to be worked out, if Robin got taken already I'm the last one standing." he said and Data nodded to him as his tone went firm then.

"This is the same as the virus we all caught?" Data asked and he nodded. "Yeah, and this time I'm the last one standing, the entire team is compromised. I've been working on this for four days Data." he told him and he nodded. "Four days, so starting from Commander Riker, it went to Counselor Troi, your mother and started going from person to person after they deactivated me, yes alright with that in mind, we can fix it."

"Alright create a diversion, I'm not accessible to the computers, I'm synthetic, not organic, it only tracks organics. So keep them occupied and I will do this." he said and the young man nodded. "We got to get the frequency correct Data, I can keep them busy, just be ready, because I get caught, before you're done I'm screwed. She's trying to use me to get an incursion started at the academy." he said and Data nodded.

"Alright keep them busy as long as possible, if you have to go into the bowels of the ship, then do so, but don't let them catch you till the last minute." he said and the young man nodded as he created an added computer programme then. "How long is it going to take exactly?" he asked and he sighed. "Twenty minutes maximum, fifteen minimum." he said and the teenager nodded as he answered him.

"I can stall that long, I just have to keep them busy by jumping from section to section till I get their attention during the last five minutes." he said and Data nodded as the boy finished the program and set it to keypad then as he got ready to leave the room as he sighed then. 'I don't believe this, instead of a quiet trip home, my home gets taken over by a puppet master." he thought to himself as he finished with a sigh.

"How do think mom, let alone the trio, are going to take this that she turned this into a live version of the exam. When we free them exactly?" he asked and Data sighed as he said it firmly. "They're going to be beyond furious that she did this to you and you in your current physical condition. And I..., Jaan, Tasha, and now us, alright that is enough of this, when the quartet hear this information and what you have to tell us."

"It's enough that they, and I, would recommend to the academy you stay home for the length of time it takes to recover physically from whatever is causing this and you can tell us what is after I do them first." he told him and he nodded as he answered him as he told him the truth. "Mom, the captain, Commander Riker, Deanna, when they find out, this is enough they're going to blast her, especially in the commander's case."

"Data, like before, we have to do this together, you're my best friend, you, me and Geordi have been working together ever since first year, but Geordi is compromised as is the rest of your team. You took me on as a junior member of your team since then, we have to get our family free, from her, the ship is our home, to ensure we don't lose them and it, we have to push it to the max now." he said and finished with a sigh.

"Data you think we should enact the failsafes programming finally, I inserted the chip after you hijacked the ship last year?" he asked and Data nodded to him. "Yes I do, our own people are now the threat, we have to take back control of the computer mainframe. So to make this last longer than necessary now, you must take charge and order your code into the computer, turn on the sentient programming."

"In fact whatever the duo told you, it's time to activate their orders and with that, I'm hereby giving you permission to use any means necessary, non violent, to keep them busy. And once we reach the twenty minute mark activate the programming and you get to work in aggravating them by playing with the computer systems. And all but the environmental controls and the life support I'm the only android on board."

"And lock down every direct route in case we have a friendly arriving to help out, call out the sequence of orders to get to me. And together you and I lock them out while the ship is only listening to us after that. I have the ability to mimic voices as you saw that last year, but we can do this and take advantage of that fact. She's probably got last year after you left for the academy, but not our full three years together."

"I believe if they were blocking her out or attempting to block her out from our earlier years if they got taken this easily. It means they forgot I was capable of voice imitations and I can use that to our advantage now. I can imitate them and advise the computer not to listen to them until they're back to normal. And while shutting down the shields he's about to implement to corral you and we have the upper advantage now."

"I can jack the terminal of the medical and engine room terminals in here, but we're hitting the medical department and the engine room and doing the other's section by section first." Data told him and he nodded. "Voice imitations, with the sextet compromised, you over ride them and we do this together, she doesn't know you're skilled in voice imitations possibly now and if not it just makes this more fun."

"In fact last time it was a serious situation this time we're going to infuriate the opponent by have her moves jumped and you use the added coding. You're my best friend Data, we have to do this, than we do it together. We did this once, when Lore tried to impersonate you when I was fifteen, we do it again and we win after that." I said and Data nodded as Wesley saw a gentle smile in his gold eyes as he finished that.

"Yes indeed, we won once because you realized he switched places with me and you did exactly as you were supposed to do by coming to check on me in my quarters, again after Graves took control of me, and now it's third times the charm. Remember once you escape by whatever programme you created. It's one decoy tactic and start at the machine maintenance and we go from there, but if she doesn't know my added ability, that works in our favor, but weakening the conditioning piece by piece is the key."

"Have you eaten anything yet though?" he asked and Wesley sighed. "She prevented us from having dinner and I haven't had anything in an hour." he told him and Data nodded with an annoyed look. "In other words that cocktail I gave you needs..., alright I have to give you a a fast jolt of nutrients now in addition to it." he said and grabbed several of the ones that were missing from his medical report and injected it into his arm.

"That should do it, if you're suffering a deficiency from any or all these nutrients your mother is going to be furious at this right now. That Etana prevented you from eating anything before you did this and that you're suffering spasms in your legs and other maladies in addition to it when she and the trio here that medical report Wesley. And that you were pushed into this when you're clearly not up to it at the moment."

"They're going to neutralize her for this if you fall asleep after we're finished, but if these same symptoms I'm seeing in you right now are the same. And as when we had Jaan Devin on board the ship and the sextet are really going to be furious, as will the engine crew and Dr. Pulaski if she comes to see us. But we've gone over this 100 times, when you're not feeling well, you have to us this." he said to him gently and he nodded to that.

"You can blame her for that Data, I was hoping to come home and tell you what I was going to tell you guys, because I need a serious extension here at home. As to why, that medical report are the symptoms of a person going through stimulate withdrawal, of the two stimulates that are dangerous in high quantities and sleep deprivation. Said stimulates caffeine and sugar, mom hears this there's going to be hell to pay now."

"Because I'm in need of two things that our bodies as humans clearly need the most and I'm not getting it. And haven't ever since I joined the blasted squadron and I can tell you the rest later. All in all, I'm in need of a severe sabbatical from the academy and I need the trio and my mother back, I need you guys still." he said and Data nodded as he gripped his arm gently as Wesley finished that remark as he sighed as he said it then.

"Can we get them back though, you six are my closest adult friends, you're my family?" he asked and Data nodded to him gently. "We can, and I will get the cure ready, just don't stop moving Wes. I know you're exhausted, but it's time to act on what Commander Riker and Worf taught you regarding the enterprise. If Ensign Lefler got taken, you are, but you remembered enough to not get taken yet."

"And you know the routes to keep from getting detected till the last minute, use them, I'm just going to say this, but to beat her. You have to change tactics, never mind what you learned at the academy of the last century in class, you must use a different century in military tactics, and go by stealth. I know you are exhausted with working over time on this, I understand." he said to him gently as he gripped his arm as he finished.

"But like the virus, we've been in worse positions before, just don't stop moving or you're going to get caught. If you remember any other manhunts we dealt with, use them, they think they deactivated me, use that against them. Roga Danar is a good place to start here, without me, they can not find you. Just use what we learned, if she's pressing her influence on them she doesn't know everything, so we use that against her."

"Just relax, focus and we will prevail my friend. Good luck." he told him and he nodded. "Thanks, you too, alright if it's started now I got to finish this, she's in the engine room right now, so I'm completing the mission. But if this dose crashes in the middle of it I need a second one to keep going till the mission ends, because once mom sees me like this, after this over, I'm on stand down." he said and Data nodded to him gently.

"Yes, alright give me one moment." he said and got to work on the second and then passed the hypospray syringe to him and finished with the next remark. "Wes, listen to me, to keep this game going on long enough, drive up the decoy attempts, just recreate the layout he used for this. Non lethal force, it's going to take me 20 minutes maximum to get the palm beacon finished, just keep them occupied for as long as it takes."

"Her frustration, at not being able to find you, is going to go into the entire adult crew, but if I'm correct right now, though she suppressed their personalities, everything is intact right now. So they're going on the positions that they always did. Just improvise, keep moving and throw in your techniques with his. And use what the duo taught you for this. It's going to work, we just make her think she's got a checkmate."

"Before I turn the tide in our favor, but just remember what you know of the sextet. We've been friends for five years, you know them, the sextet, better they know themselves, your mother most of all. But the quintet, their actions are programmed into them now, she can repress their personalities, but she can't repress their actions, not after four years, the commander is involved in 3/4's of the happenings around here."

"So put that to use, he's going to be involved in the search, but to her, she's not going to have them leave the computer, so they're not bothering to leave the engine room. That's her next fatal mistake: because if this was for real and your condition gets worse, then the four of us would be actively involved in that search just to find you. Not just the guards, but us as well, you know that, but she doesn't."

"You're my friend and you, me and Geordi are a trio, we worked as one and with that in mind. If you were getting worse and this shifted from the attack in town to catching you, if you got turned into a one. We'd be the ones looking for you ourselves, because we know how you think and what happens when you're so worn out you're going on autopilot." he said to him softly and Wesley nodded in agreement to that remark.

"Yeah I know that, you guys would be the ones trying to find me and, and before you joined the search, you'd get the life signs, CG protocols up and running. Before you joined the search yourself. The commander, he'd be looking for me himself, to him, I'm practically his son, but the six of you raised me yourselves after mom left to return to earth, we know each other so well. That she could never win if she tries this twice."

"If this was a training scenario, I'd be doing this by non lethal force right now, but she just created a live one. So I'm putting everything I know regarding the crew and the ship to use now, as to that. I can delay as long as possible, but I can created a simulated run on the phasers and create the type of overloading power source needed. So to make them think I'd just turned into him now, I just have to get them to remember."

"But this game is going on further, I'm letting them think they have me, but its repeated decoy tactics, before the hide and seek and freeze tag gets started. But my recommendation is starting with sickbay first, once Pulaski arrives, if she's..., damn it I forgot. Alright listen to me, Henderson, Morrison and Quinn are sending her here because there's a medical security alert running loose at the academy right now."

"Someone is writing up prescriptions by the name of every secondary CMO on our ship in the fleet and we're the latest on the list, my name as the patient and Dr. Anenzi is the victim now. With Pulaski being our previous CMO, they decided to send her as medical investigation and to help out later. She's going to be here in two hours, I'm keeping them busy just get her in here and finish the palm beacon, and start with Sickbay first."

"Before moving it to the engine crew next, Robin's with them right now, we have to get the duo out of the room so we can finish this. We hit the engine crew and sickbay first and we win, because these two spots are the ones that she needs to maintain control of in the crew." he told him and he nodded. "Indeed, nice strategical thinking and you are correct right now, the Commander doesn't realize you fixed me we have time now."

"But as I said until I'm done, keep them busy and going in circles until this is finished with now, understand." he said and Wesley nodded to his orders. "Dr. Pulaski is going to agree when I say this, but planting different clues of everything we we dealt with together to reopen the memories that are hurting the most is the only option now. With you being my lab partner and we've been working at the consoles together a long time."

"Geordi it was the act of my quick thinking in the engineering room, mom and Deanna what we were like together while I was there for her after she had Ian and I helped her deal with that. Worf: it was his ceremony, the captain: he and I were fencing and I think I reopened the memories of my father, but another Crusher under his command at the time. And finally Commander Riker: and that was us in the gym playing Anbo Jysutsu."

"But bringing back the memories and leaving these clues lying around, pieces of the past, my graduation party, and a couple other memories of the good times when I was still a kid. The funny memories like the Bringloidi and my going on what you guys taught me. But all in all it's breaking through to them by bringing back every good memory they had and the first is going to be by using what you and the engine crew taught me."

"Which is that to get by unseen and un-noticed it's going getting rid of my communicator and going by stealth and from there bringing back the memory of a prior manhunt now. What are the chances of this turning into a repeat of Roga Danar when he was on board and them not realizing it right now?" he asked him and he looked at him and he tried to hide a smile at the amused look on his face at that as he answered him.

"Extremely high right now Wes, as to that if you wish to take it like that it's going to last longer than necessary now. This game is coming up on six hours, but this keeps up and the decoy attempts are going to make it last for nine. So just keep them busy for the next hour. Than be careful my friend, remember, stay calm, focus and go by stealth, once you get to the last piece give off a signal to them when you do."

"By either the catwalks or something, but get the duo out of the engine room, because the second you do I'm going in there next. Because I'm doing the engine crew second, though if Geordi isn't with them, he's on the bridge right now." he said and Wesley nodded. "If I can reach them now, it's by dragging up as many references to our first three years together as possible now here, and the most memorable are the following."

"That's the problem, with me gone they lost their drive, you guys felt like you lost your child once I left for the academy, it's the parental complex when your oldest leaves the nest. That's why the quintet are acting like this, you guys helped mom raise me, if I can get to the inner them. And it's bringing back as many references to our time as a crew together it's going to start breaking through the conditioning now at the moment."

"The Bringloidi, Roga, the virus, Kyle when the commander was chosen for the position of captain on the Aries. Messing around with the computer systems, I have to keep them as busy as possible now. Just to prevent them from coming in here now. To her opinion my actions are considered reckless, and down right homicidal now to the point, but to them, as programmed, it's going to going for sedation by the ventilation shafts."

"But I'm setting up multiple references to those years and the Bringloidi just dragged up a perfect reference now, after they started a cooking fire in cargo hold seven and that was enough to annoy both the captain and the commander. Before they and Doctor Pulaski started finding these people amusing later." he told him and he nodded with an amused look on his face at the memory. "That's more than enough to annoy her, Wes."

"Though once their broken free of the programming. And after realizing which memories you chose for this they're all going to find it funny later. Year two was the seven of us with your mother away, so just drag up a few references to that year, and a few once your mother got back. Your mother lost her focus after you left, as did the quintet, she kept staring at the picture of the nine of us on her office wall after that."

"I believe the pain of you leaving has hit all of them at once, to help them, you must remind them of the good memories now. With me my memory banks are strong I'm not having a problem concentrating at the moment, but the sextet, ever since you left, they've lost their focus." he said and Wesley nodded. "In fact, it's the only chance to free them, bring back the good memories the bad, and the most painful now."

"To her, the memories of everything we went through together are more dangerous than phasers, because it's bringing back the parental acts. Let alone she's not bothering to keep the radio off and her from telling you her next move next, alright just keep her busy. Once you reach the halfway point, say after the 90 minute mark give them a signal to let them know the games have begun and it's switching from chess to hide and seek."

"Get them out of the room anyway you can and I know the commander and Worf are going to be the ones coming after you to end this next. But get them into position, we're letting her implicate herself next by trying it on you and I catch her in the act while doing it." he said and Wesley nodded to the orders then. "Don't worry, I'm going to get them out of there, but starting now, this is ending in only one way now, in our favor." he said and Data nodded to him as they looked at each other before he left the room.

"God this is going too far, I have to get the others deprogrammed and fast. Thank god for my training, it worked." Wesley thought as he entered the engine room. "I think we're going to be okay. I just have one more thing to do now." he said, not noticing Robin was looking at him with a drugged look on her. "What are you doing?" she asked and he explained that as he kept his attention on what he was doing.

'Come on guys I know you're in here, you really think I don't know this is an ambush situation, well I do. Alright time for a headcount on my group, I know that the ones running the show now are the sextet, so mom, Deanna and Geordi are wth the captain. Because mom and the captain always spent a lot of time together once she returned, he's her best friend, though their personalities are suppressed at the moment.'

'Their acts of always being in group of seven are not, the routine is programmed into them after five years together, the acts that they've always done are now programmed into their actions are as well. Alright Geordi is usually on the bridge dealing with the computers anyway when he's not in here and the duo are running security on the ship. The routine is hardwired into their actions now after five years.'

"And with that, the duo are running security, and that means possible threat to security and to Etana, I'm the threat now and they have to arrest me now. Okay, Data's in the medical lab, the duo are possibly in the room with me and the quartet are on the bridge. Well if you want to go for drop attacks, let's see what you make of my next maneuver now, Etana.' he said to himself while hiding a smirk as he answered her question then.

"I created a site to site transport programme. If things get difficult, it'll keep us one step ahead of them, were you able to access the security tracking codes?" he asked and then looked up at her and saw the look on her face. "Robin?" he said and she stood up. "It's your turn." she said and he felt his heart start pounding as his adult friends Will Riker and Worf walked out from both sides of the engine reactor.

'Yeah that's what I thought, it's an ambush situation, alright you want me, come get me now Etana, the games have begun here.' he thought as he faked his response to them getting the drop in him then as she watched him. 'No, they got to her too, I'm the last one standing.' he thought as she said the next words. "Play the game Wesley." she said as Riker came at him as he dodged his aiming for his arm and ducked under it.

As he quickly dodged him and he jumped over the computer platform and quickly ran out the door as he went down the hall to get out of the room hearing Will out to him. "Get back here!" he heard as Will called out to him and he swallowed as he quickly answered that thought mentally. "Guys fight it, fight her, you're in a sim, come on fight it." he thought as he took off down the hall. "Computer, activate the security containment field. Deck 36, section 52!" Riker said, as they were chasing him down the hall.

Before the shield landed in front of Wesley as he stopped feeling his heart pounding. 'No you're not catching me that fast, I have to buy Data some time to get the deprogrammer ready.' he thought as he tapped his shield. "Computer transport programme Crusher One." he snapped into his shield as he disappeared just as they came at him as they stopped as he landed in a transporter room three then.

After appearing on the transport pad he took of his badge to check and realized it wasn't working. 'No that was the one they gave me, before mom left and this last trip just fried it, alright screw it, without it they can't find me. Yeah go ahead try and piece together my trail Geordi, you can't find me that easily without it.' he thought as he threw it aside as he took off running down the hall and headed for the access hatch tunnels then.

'Without the badge, they can't find me, I've got time now. Alright keep going now, I have to keep them as busy as possible with trying to track me down so they don't check on Data. Hurry Data I'm running out of time and they're looking for me, just stalling for time now here, but hurry it up.' he thought then, as he took off down the hall then.

'Alright that takes care of that, without my communicator they can't find me and they're now going to medical security alert to catch me. Alright the games have begun Etana, give it your best shot, I think I'll start with a game hide and seek right now during this manhunt. But you'll never catch me that easily now.' he thought as he checked out where he was then as he took cover next to the door frame, then.

"Alright I was on Deck 36, section 25 that's engineering, where did I land exactly?" he asked himself in a whisper and turned to look at the door number. "Transporter room 3, alright I'm on deck 6 now, I just have to get to other side of the deck an and right to transporter room 4 and machine maitenance. With conspiracies like this, they're going on a cover story to why'd they'd have to arrest me and it's medical security alert."

"Though considering what I look like right now, in their opinion it's just made it even worse. I have to set my tricorder for the countdown once I get the ship systems fixed after this. Alright, here we go, the games have begun." he said softly as he left the corridor and headed for the other side of the deck.

 **Nobody's POV**

"This is Riker to Bridge, we lost Crusher, it appears he rigged a site to site transport." Will said to them with a sigh. "If I wasn't sure before, I am now, he knows he's been turned into the last one standing and we have to chase him down now. But if he tossed his communicator, it's going to be next to impossible to find him now." he said and in aggravation as he finished his remark as they thought it over.

Feeling the first pieces of parental concern start breaking through he thought over what he saw on Wesley when they locked eyes then, as he felt his old self beginning to get stronger and breaking through the conditioning then. As it was then that he felt his concern and love for the younger man start growing. 'That's the first time he's locked gazes with me since he got back, like he's trying to force his way to the inner me right now, the me that he knows right now.' he thought as he pursued that thought.

'That's no normal reaction at the moment something's wrong here right now. He's soaked in sweat, his eyes are glazed in exhaustion and a possible fever. Kid what's going on with you right now, don't, don't do this. We don't need this turning in a hunt down, come on, just give up and quit. Wesley don't try it now, you're in no condition for this right now.' he thought to himself as he looked at Worf and said his thoughts then.

"You get a good look at him, he's soaked in sweat." he asked and Worf nodded. "That's not from the fear, something else is wrong here, I saw the fevered and exhausted look to his eyes. He's either hallucinating for real, or he's delirious, drugged hallucination or some other problem, we have to end this, before he gets hurt here. This is getting ridiculous, right now at the moment." he said and Will nodded to that in agreement.

"I'm looking at being one of two things here: he's experiencing the pain of withdrawal from whatever he took it while at the academy or two is that something happened there and his system crashed and he's running on fumes here. But either way he's in no condition for this right now. But if he took a drug cocktail to keep going that cocktail is not going to last long." Worf added to him and he nodded as he felt his concern surge.

"Damn it, if he's sick and he's pushing himself into a collapse just to escape capture here, and he's getting worse by the minute, he's going to collapse if he keeps this up. I don't believe this, his systems are acting up and they choose now to pull these stunts, that's not only reckless, but completely irresponsible right now. Are you out of your mind kid, what the hell are you thinking right now." he said in concerned exasperation as he sighed as he finished that remark as he figured it out.

"He probably just came from sickbay, hit himself up with a dose of painkillers and fever reducers as well as a dose of epinephrine to keep going, but that dose of adrenaline isn't going to last long here. Damn it, his systems are acting up and they choose now to pull these stunts in evading detection till the last minute here, and he's looking like he's driven himself into the ground and was sick when doing it as well."

"Just what the hell is he thinking right now, turning this into a manhunt inside the ship with him in this condition, 42 decks, it's going to take hours to find him, if he had tossed it. Kid, don't try it, son you're only going to make yourself worse. We don't need this turning into manhunt inside the ship right now, come on, just pull it over already son!" he said in shocked disbelief as he realized it and they looked at each other.

"Whatever it is he's not getting away that easily, we have to trace his trail." Worf said and he nodded as they headed for the engine room. "La Forge, you better go with your idea now, because he's drenched in sweat, it's more than we're expecting right now. He's either hallucinating or his body is acting up, medical alert, condition three, and it's because he's just slammed himself into the wall physically here, and he's getting worse by the minute." he told him as they left and headed back to the engine room then.

 **The Bridge**

As Worf finished saying this, that same thought shot through the bridge crew as Geordi turned to the trio then **_"La Forge you better go with your idea now, because he's drenched in sweat, it's more than we're expecting right now. He's either hallucinating or his body is acting up, medical alert, condition three. And it's because he's just slammed himself into the wall physically and he's getting worse by the minute!"_** They heard and Geordi's eyes narrowed at that information.

"Aw crap, that can only mean he's suffering the side effects of some sort of drug or he's running a fever." he said under his breath as he turned and looked at the trio as he called out. "Sir we have a medical alert, condition three here. Something's wrong, Crusher has his system acting up right now!" he called out and the trio stood up at that in shock. "What!" Picard repeated in shock and Beverly answered that question.

"Whatever was going on just before he returned to the ship just added another problem to his capture, but going by the way he said that he was... He ended up in sickbay to lessen the symptoms. Whatever's wrong is enough he needs medical attention. But with his knowing her plans, he's decided he's not getting taken at all now, and not without a fight." Beverly said and he nodded as Geordi looked at them from his position.

"Why the hell didn't he tell us when he got back?" she asked and Picard sighed. "Because we were either already compromised or about to become compromised and he was telling her while telling us this." Geordi told her and she nodded. "Yes and it's making sure he doesn't make himself worse right now. It's switched from normal arrest to emergency medical, I'm calling the shots now in this. Captain, from here it's my arena now." she said and he and Geordi nodded as he said it to Picard.

As they exchanged looks he quickly said it. "Sir medical alert, if we had an escaped patient running from Sickbay and he's hallucinating. His fear of us is going to reach dangerous levels, never mind weapons, we have to take him down, before his fear and paranoia causes him to try something we'd never allow before." Geordi said as he called out to the trio and they nodded as the Picard snapped out a sequence of orders then.

"As if that's not enough right now Commander Riker said he's drenched in sweat right now, high body temperature, he must have come from sickbay right now and took a painkiller, epinephrine and fever reducer, just before we caught him in the act." he added and they nodded. "Medical alert La Forge?" Beverly asked and he nodded. "Yes, my suggestion to him was acting on the notion he's hallucinating, and it's now past that."

"Something else is wrong, we have to arrest him, before he does more damage to his body than he needs to right now. Medical security alert, condition three, Sir." he said and Picard nodded to that. "You got to be kidding, he's dodged detection twice and suddenly has his system acting up right now and he chooses now to pull this stunt?!" The conn on the right said in disbelief and Geordi nodded to him and the conn on the left sighed.

"I don't believe these kids, I saw the outburst in ten forward, but this is getting ridiculous, are they out of their minds right now. I mean, they just figured it out and he's got his system acting up right now and they choose now to pull this stunt, just what the hell are they thinking right now, are they out of the minds here?!" The conn officer at the control console said in shocked disbelief then as he sighed as Beverly answered him.

"I'm not sure, but if we don't catch him now, he's going to only going to make himself worse, we have to end this now!" Beverly said and Picard nodded in agreement to that remark. 'Aw crap, his system is acting up right now and they choose now to do this, this boy is pushing himself into a collapse, because he knows he's the last one standing right now. Alright we have to end quickly, before he gets hurt here.'

'God young man, we don't need this turning into a man hunt, that's enough already. If you're really sick or becoming ill, you're only going to make yourself worse right now by making this choice.' The captain thought as he quickly hit his communicator as he asked the question the four of them needed to know. "Commander Riker, you get a good look at him, what's the prognosis here?" he asked and the other man quickly answered him.

 ** _"His face is drenched in sweat right now and when we got a look at his eyes, they had a fevered and exhausted look to them. Whatever was going on at the academy prior to this might have something to do with that, but all in all it's clear he's slammed himself into the wall. But he's not going to give up till every ounce of energy is drained or he accidentally cripples himself here."_**

 ** _"But I think he went to sickbay and hit himself up with a dose of painkillers, fever reducer and a jolt of epinephrine to make it till whatever plan he has is implemented here. But that adrenaline dose isn't going to last long and by the time it wears off its going to cause him to collapse. And that's not if he got a secondary syringe pod to keep going till this is over either."_**

 ** _"He's in no condition for pulling stunts like this right now, Sir. Whatever was going on at the academy when he was there has something to do with his body acting up right now. But if we don't end this now, he's ending up in the emergency room, if he collapses in the middle of this, we have to end this now. La Forge, activate the thermal heating scanner. His temperature is high enough that it's going to pick up on it."_** Will said and he nodded as he called out.

'Alright time to switch from basic arrest and straight to medical security arrest, before he lands himself in the emergency room here. God young man, don't make us do this, just calm down and give up now.' he thought as he called out the orders then. "Security alert, condition three. Computer lockdown all transporter rooms and shuttlebays." he called out as Geordi answered him, his tone loaded with annoyance.

But he held up his hand to forestall him as he called out the next sequence of orders. "La Forge lock down every floor from here to deck forty two we have to prevent him from moving further up, because if he's suffering a case of delirium or some gave him any type of drug, he's a danger to himself right now, with the fear and paranoia hitting this hard." He said and Geordi nodded as she gestured to herself and he nodded as he got it.

"Attention all security teams, medical security alert, repeat this is a medical security alert, Wesley Crusher is to be apprehended. All phasers are to be put up, repeat, no weapons, your orders are to catch him and bring him to the bridge. Ensign Crusher is a danger to himself right now, you find him, restrain him. If you find his communicator tell me, but it's taking it deck by deck to find him." Beverly said sharply as she finished.

"All security teams longer than one year I want you involved in the search, Lieutenant Greyson, you're in charge. As all of you were involved in his training, it's likely tracing back his training course. But all of you keep an eye out, if you get any indication of his hanging around see if you can get him to end this, if not. And if he starts turning violent arrest him and bring him to the bridge." she said. and Picard finished her orders then.

"Crusher is suffering paranoia, I want all security teams to sweep every deck for him, but no phasers, he's a danger to himself, once you cross him, bring him to the bridge." he said and she quickly thought it over as she did hers next. "Attention, all medical personnel in sickbay be on the look out for Ensign Crusher, he's taken a dose cocktail of painkillers, fever reducers and epinephrine. However that dose isn't going to last long."

"And he's going to need a booster to keep going, so he's going to have to come in there sooner or later, once he does, arrest him. Because he's either hallucinating for real or the paranoia has reached dangerous levels. And he's a danger to himself, so again, he comes back in there restrain him and hold him there." she said and she got ten affirmatives as Picard looked at Geordi then. "Any luck Mr. La Forge?" he asked and he shook his head.

"Not yet, I'm checking every route he could have taken, but I'm getting nothing here, but he knows us way too well, and vice versa, Sir." he said and finished gently. "I can't track him Sir, it appears he done something to the internal security sensors. I'll try to bypass his subcommands." he said as he worked and then smiled in relief as he said it to him. 'God kiddo, what are you thinking right now.' he thought as he said it to Picard.

"Hold on, I'm picking up a piece of his trail. There was activity in transporter room three, that would put him somewhere on deck six." he told him and he nodded. "Seal off deck six, activate security fields twenty three through twenty nine." he said to him then and he nodded to him. "Aye Sir!" He said as he activated the fields as they waited then.

 **Wesley's POV:**

Meanwhile, after dodging several security teams and setting up a decoy tactic Wesley stopped again as he found another shield as he nearly ran right into it as he looked around the corner. 'Uh huh, they're trying to corral me, if they switched this around. Than it's they're going on a medical alert, they're trying to arrest me by making it seem like I'm the irrational one and my paranoia has gotten out of hand.'

'Well if that's their plan, it's not going to work, I've got to delay as long as possible and with that in mind, sure you know everything about me. But to keep from getting taken its risking an injury or two to insure this conspiracy never gets off our ship. I've lived on this ship four years and I've been through the bowels of this ship it's not going to work you guys, you know me well, but she doesn't, so let's test that.'

'Captain four years together, you really think I don't know my way around the security procedures, I've been working our computer mainframe since I was fifteen. She's got you acting like you're drunk, but it's not enough to remember these things, and you and the quintet know me better than this, I'm not going down without a fight, so what else exactly?' he said to him gently as he blasted the shield then smiled as he said it quietly.

'Wait that's it, toss my communicator, transport to deck 6. So I keep them guessing..., of course, Roga Danar, that's perfect, he tried an escape attempt and pulled it off. So I just do what he did here, first was the armed Phaser in the turbolift, but turbolift shut down and I change that one." he said and smiled as he got to work. 'Yes okay, that hall Pearson was in was blocked off and I'm in the same one he is in right now."

"Time to take it to the max, I just reverse his way of doing it till I get them out of the engine room, reverse the sequence. Phaser in the hallways, in the terminal boxes, use of the Jeffries Tubes tunnel system, you have to remember these things. You taught me this yourself: If someone isn't wearing a communicator you lose track of them, you can't find your quarry if they get into the Jeffries Tube tunnels because their shielded."

"And starting now this is being turned into a chess game Captain, you played me so many times you ought to know my moves, well let's test that now Sir. Sirs here's your problem with her forcing will on you now, but if you can't remember every scenario, you're never going to win against a tactician here. So if you forgot how we dealt with a trained soldier, than you're forgetting a few crucial details in this situation.'

Looking around the corner a second time he smiled as he thought it. 'And it's that he was dodging multiple guards till he got the ship. You're checking the main floors, but the Jeffrie Tube tunnels are shielded, you'll never find me till the last minute. Or did you forget this one in Sun Tzu's teaching strategies when you told me that first one Sir, dad, ** _'He who knows when he can fight and when he can not, will be victorious'_**.

"And I will, this is no longer a wargame training exercise, but a chess game, you made the first move on me and I jumped three steps ahead of you, so let's keep it up shall we. If you're really a skilled tactician Etana, then you should know what game you're playing here, because the captain invited me to play chess against him repeatedly up to when I left.' he thought as he set his phaser up on the railing and had it pointing at the shield.

"A skilled tactician knows his opponent so well you should know my moves by the way I'm setting them up. But if you don't than you're going to fail in this game, you made one mistake by disabling Data, without him you can't find me, let's see what you make of my next move now. You made the first move and I reciprocated, so let's see what you make of this move, because this game is coming up on 90 minutes of moves and counter moves and it's just getting started now." he said smiling firmly with a bemused look.

" ** _'Because he will triumph who knows when to fight, and when not to fight'_**. I will not fight you like that, by making me destroy my home or killing my friend and family. So let's go about it a different way, shall we. And hears the next one. ** _'Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.'_**. I know you so well Sirs, that you can't beat me when it comes to this, you taught me yourself." he said smiling softly as he finished the remark gently.

"Captain, five years, I know you so well, it's you've taught me plenty, the teaching strategies are one thing, but remembering which quotes are the key now. This chess game is going to continue till you concede and give up, Etana.' he said smiling coldly as he activated his phaser, set it on maximum and set it on the railing as he left that spot and headed for the turbo lift that was directly across from where he was then.


	3. 3: The Search And Decoy Attempts

**The Bonds Of Family And Friends**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs tome and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Chapter 3: Mental Messages, Repair Jobs And Deprogramming**

 **The Bridge-Nobody's POV**

'God kiddo, why didn't you tell us this exactly, what are you thinking right now, you're in no condition for this Wesley. Come on just give up, come on now.' Geordi said with a sigh to him gently as he kept scanning for him as, not noticing the way Charlie Dayton was sitting as he worked at Wesley's console. He didn't see the hidden smirk on his face because he and the trio were busy with the search then.

Scanning the area around where he set up the shields then, Geordi saw a sudden power burst in flunctuations and smiled in relief as he thought it to himself. 'Finally, he's on deck six, but we get there answer to where finally. Alright, so there you are, alright Wesley, enough of this, just stop, before you make yourself worse. Come on now, just give it up.' he thought to him gently as he turned around and called out to Picard.

"We got him Sir, he's at section twenty five. Looks like he's trying to cut through the energy field with a phaser." Geordi said and he nodded to that news in relief then. "Security proceed to deck 6, section twenty five!" Picard called out and they heard the guard answer him. ** _"On our way."_** he said to him then as they waited patiently.

 **Wesley's POV:**

After setting up his decoy attempt Wesley left, looking at the direction, he nodded. "That hall leads to a second turbolift, so that must mean..." he started to say and headed for the elevator, before seeing the light come on and he hid in the alcove just as a security patrol walked out as he looked straight into the room he was in and nodded. 'I'm in equipment maintenance across from transporter room 4 here, yeah okay that works.'

'That's what I thought, they unknowlingly drove me into a repeat. And they don't even realize it here.' he thought as he boosted the field as he thought it over then. 'I'm in the same hall as the corridor and hall that they dealt with Roga that day. Roga you're lucky you had that life signs inhibitor chip implanted, because it just gave me an idea earlier.' he thought to himself and as he heard the duo talking as he listened carefully.

'If I know O'Brien he's waiting in the transport room, and these two come out the door just as I arrive. No I need close to three hours to give him time to work now.' he said to himself as he heard a more neutral tone in the voice of the guard as he heard him say it then. 'Tactic swap and that phaser is on maximum, but let's see if you guys get the message I'm trying to telling you now, you two.' he thought as he heard the voice.

'Because if you chose the ones who know me this well, and are trying to test the path I took last year. You're in for a very nasty surprise, because it's not going to work, rule one if the enemy thinks they have you, switch tactics and you're never going to get caught. You got my tactics from last year out of their minds, well that's not enough to catch me now, Etana.' he thought with a smirk as he listened to the two guards then.

"You check left." he heard as he waited for them to find it then. "You have got to be kidding here!" he heard the second guard say in shocked exasperation. Looking around the corner he saw the duo found his decoy tactic as the second officer turned off his phaser. "Found his phaser Sir, it appeared he was trying to cut through the shield." he heard the guard say and he smirked at that as he answered that mentally then.

 ** _"Yes, alright keep looking for him, but once you find him, arrest him and bring him to the bridge, his system is either crashing or has crashed and he's either delirious or too paranoid to think straight. He needs medical attention."_** he heard from Will then and nodded to that. 'That's what I thought, they turned this into a medical security alert right now, just another page in the handbook for an attempted conspiracy, but I'm the one thinking straight right now, you're the one not thinking clearly.'

'Guys look around you, does this feel familiar in what it did before, look around you, if you were here at the time.' he thought to the duo, as he waited then, before he saw two more join them group as they went into a huddle as the leader of the second team said it firmly. "What's the setting on that phaser exactly. If he was trying to cut through that shield, because it takes a massive amount of power to cut through cascade fields?"

"And his training was compiled to that last year?" he heard and the second guard answered that. "It's at maximum stun right now, I'd say, he pushed it up to this level to get our attention and then took off." The guard said and the first sighed at that explanation. "Are you kidding me Wilcox, at that level it's enough to knock someone into a coma." The guard next to the leader said in shock and the leader finished that remark.

'Wait a second, Greyson was the leader of one team, Bates the leader of a second, Porter the leader of the third. Okay, so this must be the new guy and his team mate, if he got added to the crew at nearly the same time as that security guard did. But the duo are both in their mid to late 40's and Porter just in his early 40's now, and these two look like they're thirty. So new guys.' Wesley thought to himself as he heard the older guard.

"Setting it that high, if he rigged the battery is enough to cause an overload. But if we had company in the halls, that would knock them unconscious, had you not deactivated it, but that's not an accident. In fact he's warning us to back off, but you two don't know him in the way we do and with that in mind you better back off right now, and let me see if I can talk him down right now." He said as he finished with a gentle sigh.

"God kid, what are trying to do here exactly right now, are you trying to knock someone unconscious here right now at the moment. Come on, you're not thinking straight if you pulled this. Just give it up, we don't need this turning that violent son. Just calm down and pull it over now." he heard the guard add gently. "Alright both of you get out of here, I'll take care of this, see if I can talk him down right now, he knows me."

"Because I was part of his training for the entire three years at the time, so leave this to us." The man said and they nodded and left. 'What do you mean I know you guys, and you were part of my training last year, the ones involved were Greyson, Porter, Davidson, Bates, Perkins and Watkins. Who are you exactly and to answer your remark. That's not going to work Sir, whoever you are, I'm not the one being controlled right now."

"And to answer your remark, no, and I'm thinking very clearly here and you're going to have to figure out what I'm trying to tell you. If you're like the sextet than you have to figure out what I'm trying to tell you now." he whispered in answer to that to the guard. "Which two are you exactly, anyone from the last ten months, since I left or a member from the ones from the first four years, I didn't your face as you came out."

"Turn around, I need to see your faces." he whispered as he watched them. "What the heck is this supposed to be exactly: a manhunt or just a game of hide and seek, turning it into a war game here. Son come on, we did this portion of the test already and you just barely gave yourself away then?" the second guard said and he answered that. 'Well that's another clue there, he's trying to get to me by bringing up my own memories."

'But it's not going to work and to answer your question. Nope it's neither, more of a total recall here guys, now turn around I need to see you, I'm just setting up a different way to get your attention and memory to focus guys. If you're really one of the guys who were training me and I was close friends with, I need to see you.' he thought softly, smiling as he waited for him to say it then, hearing the voice, he knew the man got it.

Watching him from behind he heard their conversation then. "The phaser is on maximum stun here, and he's got it just down the hall from that turbolift. Maximum stun, just what does that say to you now?" The older man asked him and he sighed. "It's a warning and message to us now." he said to him and he nodded gently as they both turned around and he saw their faces and he felt his heart take a violent jump.

"Ah no, it's Lieutenant Greyson and Ensign Perkins, that's what he meant, he was part of my training then and he knows me better then they do. No I'm not falling for that ploy and with that in mind right now, come on guys, you have to recognize this layout now, you walked right out of the turbolift. Transporter room four and it takes you two, the chief and the duo to arrest him, after you dragged him into the hall."

"And it's the turbolift that you were trying to prevent him from getting into, before Worg and the commander arrived while he nearly dislocates your shoulder Perkins. Before the chief shot him in the back and you were keeping him busy till the duo helped you, you have to remember this.' he thought as he saw their faces then as he tried to keep them from seeing him as he looked around the corner of the door alcove then.

"Yeah, and with the way he's saying this by use of putting it on that high a level, if he wasn't thinking straight before, he is now. With the fact he's nineteen and still a cadet, to make this remark clear he's trying to tell us..., oh god, yes I get the message. He's not getting taken alive and he doesn't want to hurt anyone, but don't push him that far or he couldn't live with the guilt." he told him and he nodded as he looked around.

'Yes that's the message, don't make me shoot to kill, you guys, you have my phaser, don't make me do this, the guessing games are just beginning. But I don't want to hurt anyone, let alone you guys, you've known me since the very beginning, I'm not fighting any wargames here. I'm not letting you push me into fighting with lethal force, now please, don't make me do that, I don't want to hurt you.' he thought to him softly.

And, watching his face carefully, Wesley saw his gaze shift as he then looked straight down the hall and he quickly backed into the shadows to keep from being seen. "If that says anything he doesn't want to hurt anyone, but he will if we push him in that direction right now. But why leave it in this hall pointing in that direction, just off the corridor leading towards that turbolift, it's in a direct line of sight and we're right in front of it."

"But what's the meaning here exactly, that's the question here. What's so important about this portion of it, it's like he's trying to get us to remember where and when he left that there." he told him and he nodded as he looked around. 'Come on guys, fight her, you remember this, four years friendship you have to remember this, come on." Wesley thought to himself as the older guard answered him as he said it softly

"Come on son, what are you thinking here, what are you trying to tell me. What's the real message, what are you trying to get us to remember?" he said softly as he shifted his gaze around them. "Whatever he's trying to get us to remember, its clear he doesn't want us to force him into a position of shooting to kill right now. But other than that I think if he left that there, we arrived just after he did here."

"Sir, we must have just missed him, he's trying to tell us he doesn't want to hurt anyone, and don't force him into it. At this stage in his training, the thought of killing anyone or setting the self destruct is enough to make him sick. Damn it, we just shoved him into a real live version of an academy training exercise here. And one that if he was doing it at the academy is one thing, but having our ship taken over by enemy forces."

"It's landed on two options and he doesn't want to do either at the moment: shoot to kill or set the auto destruct to end this, before it gets off the ship. Etana just created a real live version of it and he's in the middle of his training and that phaser is the underlying message. **_'I won't be taken alive and I don't want to hurt anyone, so don't force me into it. Just back off guys.'_**." he told him and the greying haired man nodded.

"No we didn't miss him, he's hanging around right now, because if any teenager is sending messages here it's they're not bothering with the reckles actions. And he's obviously not thinking straight with him leaving that in plain sight." he said and Wesley smirked. 'That's what you think, Etana, it's part of the game the guys, the commander and I did last year, a case of misdirection.' he thought as he heard Greyson say it.

"If he's in ear shot, he's listening to our conversation right now. Don't move." He said and he nodded as they looked down the corridor he was in. "Alright easy son, we get the message, come on, what are you thinking here right now, we don't need this turning that violent. You're also in no condition for this, just stop already, come on. I know you're hearing me son, just stop already, come on." he said gently as he kept quiet and waited.

 ** _'Wes, whatever you do, don't move, stay out of sight, it's a trap. You remember what we taught you, in situations like this, this is just another piece to a conspiracy. And by them, making it sound like you're the irrational one. Just stay out of sight and keep quiet, kiddo, it's okay, just continue with what you're doing, son.'_** he heard Greyson's voice say to him and he nodded to the orders then.

'God why did it have to be you guys, you, Bates and Porter know me best, but how much did you block out, since I left is the next question. The five of you, like the engineering team and the quintet are my family, I'm not giving you up. Alright enough is enough, I know what she's trying to do right now, but she's not playing by the rules. If this turned from our training game and into the real thing, she's cheating at the moment.'

'So what's the best shot at getting passed you guys when you're programmed, because I'm not following for it. I know that's not really you, but her trying to get to me through you.' he thought as he felt a slight headache building in his head and sighed as he heard an answering response to that thought as his voice came forward. ** _'Whatever you never got the chance to tell us, I understand right now kiddo.'_**

 ** _'But you're going to have to head for your quarters and get that recharge, if you start feeling sick to your stomach. I know you don't want to risk exposure, but you're going to have to get something to eat, by a fast recharge, after your first stop right now. Listen to me, whatever's wrong has to be treated, now, before you do anything, just turn off the alarm system in your quarters.'_**

 ** _'I know you're not feeling up to this, believe me, but to make sure she can't get her hands on you, you have to avoid detection. Take as much time as you need, but with every search team looking for you in the main corridors and waiting to ambush you in every public area. Use what you learned when we shifted it from simulation practice to real before you left last year, remember.'_**

 ** _'The Jeffries Tubes are shielded, so they, and we, can't find you that way, so just use that against her. Remember what you learned about deprogramming as well, just use that too. And make as many distractions as you can do just stay out of sight. If you have to drive up the practical jokes and guessing games, though do it, just one appearance to make it more interesting.'_**

 ** _'But if you start getting too tired to focus, you're going to have to reset the clock later. Remember, we discussed this on the bridge last year already, Anthony and I were involved in the conversation. But you're my favorite student and seeing some little helm jockey treating you like this was enough to tick me off at the time and with that in mind right now."_**

 ** _"It's okay kiddo, I know you're trying to focus, but just relax, these scenarios have more than one choice. So just focus and concentrate, we're still here, like you thought, she's suppressing us. But to make us stronger use as many of our memories of the four years we had together as possible now. You know what you meant to the guys and me after we helped the commander in training you.'_**

 ** _'Well that's what's caused us to lose concentration now, I'm the one you bonded to pretty fast in the case of the security teams. But as we taught you, if the programmer dug into our memories regarding tactics, switch tactics around and you'll never get caught. I'm the one leading the entire contingent, use that against her now. You know me better than she does son, in training.'_**

 ** _'The one she yanked from our minds was your original testing exercise when we had it on the holodeck and it turned real before you left. So just use that against her now, she's got your training exercise route from our mind. So just alter the route and take as much time as you need right now, but just lay low till Data has that weapon ready at the moment, just keep it up."_**

 ** _'So use that against her and she's never going to win this now, you've just pulled off your escape, next was getting rid of your communicator. So what's next exactly, if you're still hanging around the halls. If you're using Danar's method without the added destruction right now while doing it exactly.'_** he heard and Wesley nodded as he heard his mentor finish that gently.

 ** _'Its okay cub, just focus, you know us better than she does after we started this, in training. But to make this last all night and into the next morning, start doing tactics that she would never understand, and combine tactics with another time frame. This could be considered that story focused on the title characters issue of trying to stay alive with 20 others hunting her down.'_**

 ** _'But she's a survivalist, and knows her way around the woods just to stay alive. We did that survival training test last year when we did the same and you had us trying to find you. So you're behind enemy lines and we're blocking your path to the areas needed for you to get some rest and food, so what now exactly?'_** he heard Will add to him and he nodded as he answered that mentally then.

'Stay out of sight, if they want a shot I'm giving them their brief shot by doing a quick appearance and then sticking to the tunnels and use the tunnels to come out in any of our apartments so I can get some rest and food. Yeah okay dad, Sir, I get it. But this game's not ending till I say it does.' he thought as he answered the guard's programmed voice gently, knowing she was trying to get him to slip up in training.

'You're right, I'm at half strength at the moment, but until this is done, I'm not surrendering Greyson.' Wesley thought to himself as he heard him say it a second time gently. "Come on son, I know you're hearing me here, but you're in no condition for this type of situation. What are you thinking right now, huh, we get what you're trying to tell us, but just stop already now." he said again softly and he waited a bit more then.

After fifteen minutes not moving, he knew he'd given up. Before he heard them leave and he looked around the hall. 'Alright step one, I've got to redraft the warp engines here.' he thought as he got to work as he saw the device he created after the incident with the virus and smiled. 'Geordi kept that, I can't believe it. That's it, I can use that.' he said and got work as he redid the chips, adjusted the flow and smiled.

Before removing his tricorder and adjusting several compensate to it then as he set the frequency as well and smiled as he said it to her mentally. "Data do you read?" he asked through the tricorder and he heard him with a smile in his tone. ** _"Yes Wesley, are we ready?"_** he asked and Wesley nodded. "Yes we are, I was listening carefully to the way they talk to each other here, and it's that's she's got them going by their titles with each other, our version is going by name, aside from the commander."

"But recently the last two years, just before I left, the quartet are now calling each other by name now. So that's another fatal mistake, she's got them going by their titles and ranks with each other as for the chief, if he forgot these things, I know him too well. Chief O'Brien is in Transporter room 4, I know he's waiting to ambush me right now, so could you take care of that. Because we're starting with him, choose the quartet in voice imitations, because you're the ones the computer are going to listen to most."

"But it's show time now, go to voice imitations, computer relays and the works, but when I tell you, we activate the sentient programming and we go from there at the moment so let's do it." he said and he heard Geordi's voice call out over the tricorder then. ** _"Chief O'Brien, I need you in the engine room to help the Commander Riker and Lieutenant Worf in the search, could you report there, please."_** he said and he heard the Irish man's voice answer him at that from across the hall then.

"Yes Commander La Forge, I'm on way." he said from across the hall and he tried to keep from snickering at this as he thought it smiling. 'Well Etana, if you think you can prevent me from knowing your moves in this chess game you're out of luck, the first step to a well laid plan is by being a step ahead of your oppenent and I am now. So give it your best shot, I'm listening to everything you say through my friends now.'

'Alright time to go to work.' he thought to himself as he went into the transporter room, before looking at the number on the door and nodded. ** _"Coast is clear, Wesley your turn, take as long as you want, just get ready in case we have unexpected company coming to crash this party."_** Data said over the tricorder and he nodded as he tried to keep from laughing at that as he went to check and saw the room number.

"Yep, transporter room 4, same layout, okay Etana, let's see what you make of this move now." he said and activated the transporter room codes. ** _"Security breach, transporter room four!"_** he heard the computer say and quickly went back the maintenance room and finished up. 'Well that should do it then, it's time to confuse the heck out of her by doing voice imitations now at the moment.' he thought then, smiling.

"Data redirect the security teams, out of the main hall, I'm running Roga's strategy and getting into the Jeffries tubes by use of the ventilation shafts in the rooms." he said and he heard Data with a satisfied tone in his voice. **_"Yes Wesley, but remember that last time they could find him, because I was there. But I recommend you keep them going in circles. Never mind using the main halls, use the ventilation shafts."_**

 ** _"And Jeffries and entry tubes to get around, but the games are just beginning, she's not bothering to check the shafts, she thinks you're going to be walking around in the open. So let's use that against her now, shall we."_** he said and Wesley smiled dangerously then at that. **_"Security teams I'm detecting a pulse in transporter room five, I think he hacked a way past the security lock out."_**

 ** _"But he's armed, so proceed there and with caution."_** he added, imitating David Jenson's voice over the radio and they heard the leader of the second team answer that. **_"Thank you Commander Jenson, we're preceding there now."_** he heard from Greyson then and smiled. "Voice mimics and redirects this game is going on for as long as it takes." he said with a satisfied smirk on his face as he got to work then.

As he headed out of the shaft and opened the panel then. "Data, I'm getting to work on the repairs now, and I'm going to adjust a few things here to make sure she's not going anywhere right now." he said and heard him answer gently. **_"Affirmative Wes, my sensors detect her ship still outside of the Enterprise. Boost the tractor beams and enforce the shields. Whatever repairs are needed you can do from in there, just lock the door."_** he said and Wesley nodded to the orders as he got to work.

 ** _"Computer, which systems need repairs exactly and which ones need to be strengthened, because I'm doing them within machine Maintenance, and I need to know where the damage was regarding the attack by the Borg and when we had the diamond on board the ship?"_** Data asked in Jennifer Barnfield's voice and it quickly answered him. ** _"My central board needs to be fixed as do my engines and shields. But if you fix those and then strengthen the output, Ensign Barnfield."_**

 ** _"That gives us a better chance of stopping whoever boarded me this time. And if my central sentient programming activates now or the next hour, it's going to insure whoever boarded me is never going to win now. Because I'm only listening to you and Ensign Crusher after that now too."_** it said and he nodded to that as he got to work as he heard him give the next order.

 ** _"Computer disable security in machine maitenance while I'm working on fixing your systems. Because Ensign Crusher is in the room with me and we've been hijacked by our alter egos. To protect him, disable the security and lock the door till we're done, and once he gives the order, only follow his order."_** Data said and he heard the door lock click shut as the secondary panel went red and he nodded as he started work on the engines and systems then.

"Alright time to confuse them in this, it's the bounce back effect now." he thought as he started redirecting the systems. "Let's see you get passed these repair jobs, because once I'm done, you're not getting free of our tractor beam now, Etana." he thought out loud as he redirected the systems and he heard a loud hum start as the system started purring like a kitten at his repairs and he chuckled at that as he answered that.

"Yeah I know you're happy you're back to full power again, girl. Alright let's fix the added damage in you that Commander Shelby caused." he said as he started realigning the amount of damage in the systems as the purr started getting louder at that. "Alright that should do it. One more piece and that should take care of that." he said and finished. "Well that should do it, she can't get in, and whoever else is on board this ship."

"Can't get out now, god once they're back to normal, the sextet are going to see this as a need of extra credit right now with what I'm doing. Though the quintet and the engine crew are going to find this more than funny later at the moment. And it's that you're sounding like a cat that's just been taken care of by its owner later." he thought out loud to the ship with an amused smile at the purring as he boosted the output.

"Data we're ready, I fixed the systems that took damage last year at the time and with it added several adjustments. But altogether our little ploy here is about to get started right now, do it. We're going to games in theory Data, test what she doesn't know about me to what she does know and it's the same with you now." he said into his tricorder and he heard the other man answer in a perfect imitation of Geordi's voice then.

 ** _"Team one check the system, something up."_** he said in an imitation to his voice and he heard the team leader answer him. **_"Yes Sir, on our way."_** he said and, five minutes later, he heard him say it in shock as the man walked into the room with his team mate. "What the hell, sir the reason for why it sounds like this is because somebody repaired the damage to the engines and components right now."

"It's that the ship is acting like an oversized cat because it's happy it's been repaired now." he said in shock and he heard him answer in Picard's voice him at that remark. **_"Is there any indication that Crusher is the one responsible for this?"_** he asked him and the Lieutenant sighed. "No Sir, none at all, if Crusher was a certified computer genius and and mechanic that would do it, but these repair jobs are far to intricate for him to deal with." he said and he smirked at the remark as he thought it back to her..

'Yeah that's what you think, I created a pulse generator when I was in high school you fool, Etana.' he thought with a smirk as Data undermined that by using Geordi's voice then. Before he looked at the air filter and nodded to that. ** _"Team two, there's a power exceleration coming from machine maintenance."_** he heard coming from Greyson's badge and he quickly got into the exhaust tubing.

"On our way." he heard him say and he quickly pulled the grate into place as they walked into the room. "There's no one in here, it's another decoy attempt Captain." he said to him quickly and knew he nodded as he watched him look at Bates at that in exasperation then. "Great we get redirected and it's we're being lead in circles right now, one minute they want us on the search, the next they have us checking out the equipment. If this was a test of strategic thinking, it's getting annoying now."

"Would you guys make up your minds right now, do you want us in the search or fooling around with the equipment." He heard from Ensign Watkins and he tried to keep from laughing as he knew she didn't know this skill in Data. "Sir that component he just redirected is connected to the Turbolifts right now." Lieutenant Bates said quickly and Data answered that in Will's voice as he smirked as he answered him then.

 ** _"If he's trying to to redirect the power relay, he's possibly trying to get to shuttle bay two, check that out. Lieutenant Greyson that power boost is over riding something, somethings up, could you check the transporters, he maybe trying to over ride the lock out in cargo hold three. Because we had a few manhunts running."_** Data said and he watched them nod as they exchanged looks.

"First transporter room five and now to the maintenance and cargo hold 3, come on guys, make up your minds here." he heard from Ensign Perkins say as they left the room and he tried to keep from laughing at that. 'God, this is working a little too easily right now. Well that's the games in theory alright, they left their knowledge of what I could do buried, but it's the last ten to twelve months they did leave open, perfect."

"There's no chance of blowing the engines or breaking the tractor beam now Etana, this is going to insure that we got a massive power advantage over you once we've got you where we want you." he said as he got to work on a deprogrammer to Geordi's visor then and then made four or five more adjustments, before stopping. "Alright that should do it. Time to continue here now." he thought as he rerouted several systems then.

'Okay, I got to create the simulator frequency for the full size phasers so I can do this now. Simulate the phasers on overload, leave it in front of the turbolift, if Pearson is down the hall from it. And then have it set to overload now, before moving into the Jeffries tube system. I'm dodging going there by use of the main hall, but climbing into the exhaust shaft and into the room and just keep it up till they quit now.' he thought to himself as he got to work on the chips then and then went across the hall.

'Alright I have to get three more phasers now and finished what he did now. Evidently you don't know that machine maintenance covers a few things that are not in the engineering room Etana. Because if you did, you'd know where I was hiding at the moment.' he thought as he climbed down the extension shaft and started crawling down the tunnel then as he got to his next spot and grabbed four phasers then.

"Dad did you forget something here, the Turbolifts were active when you tried to arrest Roga, that would help right now, but as I'm acting on Roga's strategies, before we go to the next game, how long is it going to take you guys to figure this out now. he redirected you in the way I'm about to do it." he thought to Will as he climbed down to deck 36, section 25 and checked the turbolift he was next to then as he reached it.

 ** _"Sirs, I recommend we put the Turbolifts back on line, he sees them working he may try to use them. As soon as he does, we have him."_** he heard from Dayton and smiled. ** _"Yes he's right, Lieutenant Evans, put the Turbolifts back online, he sees them working. He may try to use them, soon as he does, we have him, Captain."_** he heard from Will and smiled at the remark as he thought it to himself then.

 ** _"Indeed, Lieutent Evans reactivate the Turbolifts and put them back on line."_** he said and nodded smiling. 'Yes do that guys, do it, like I know you better then you know yourselves, you've just fallen into the exact trap you made back then. And with that, Charlie buddy, you're sounding just like the commander, that was his idea regarding Danar at the time." he said smiling as he arrived at the one connected to the manhunt.

"Turbolift five, I'm at the right one, I just have to find the access panel now. Alright, chip here, remove that, and..., okay that should do it.' he thought to himself as he stuck the first phaser into his pocket then and crawled up two floors and then quietly removed the access panel and looked down as he saw the inside of turbolift five and dropped into it then as he smiled as he said it to firmly then, as he removed his tricorder then.

"Hey Data, did you hear that?" he asked and he heard the android answer him. **_"Yes Wesley I did, alright if you're driving this in the same way we did regarding Danar, make it look like you're about start acting like him. So you can make her as paranoid as it gets that you're turning into him. As he was turning this into a chess game, because Lieutenant Evans got added seven months ago."_**

 ** _"As did Lieutenant Davidson, Jacobs and Walters, they're all new members and Ensign Ro Laren was just six weeks ago at the time. They don't know you the way we do, so use that against them. Though I think if the group is hiding the memory of your pattern to protect you, it's going to be by tomorrow. That she realizes what you're trying to tell them, but reverse the last maneuver."_**

 ** _"And that should do it here, because by then they're not going to realize you reversed the last maneuver till you're already in the engine room and by then. I'm going to have the engine crew free from her control here, so just keep it in exact alignment with his till tomorrow morning. And then when Dr. Pulaski shows up change his last maneuver in the engine room."_**

 ** _"But the jump to transporter room 4 wasn't involved in it, and neither was the communicator, so just improvise here. Because if any of the security personnel see you you're going to get arrested, so just make a couple changes to his route."_** he said and Wesley nodded. "Right, I'm going to take a different route and get into the room by the reactor tube, but she's going to think I'm coming in the front door."

"But Worf was the one searching for him specifically while Commander Riker was on the bridge. If they were themselves they'd be looking for me themselves. So I have to get them out of the engine room in the morning to do this. So time for the next indication, I'm in the turbolift,mbut haven't turned it on yet, so stand by." he said as he smiled as he crouched on the floor as he said it then, smiling.

"Alright time for the turbolift tactic, computer activate the turbo lift, deck 36, section 25." he said and it got moving then as he waited for the call out. Before he heard an immediate response to that as he hid a smile then. ** _"Captain, unauthorized use of turbolift 5."_** he heard from the operations console officer. ** _"Whatever pattern this is, it's going in a strange direction right now."_** he heard from Robin at his strategy.

As he heard Picard answering remark to that, his tone relieved that they found him so fast, as he heard a bemused tone. ** _"Great, well he took the bait, Ensign Lefler."_** he heard from Dayton and hid a smile. _**"Lieutanant Evans, over ride its destination, and direct it to an area near Lieutanant Pearson's location."**_ Picard said as Wesley knew he was speaking to the guard that was in range of it then as he heard it

 ** _"Lieutenant Pearson, get into position, we have an unauthorized use of turbolift 5, looks like he's trying to get past you."_** he said and Wesley hid a smile. **_"Aye Sir, I'm on way there now."_** He said and he smiled at that. "Replace those names with Data and Worf and I have her right now. What's your problem, don't understand the now subtle pattern I'm using for this right now at the moment, Etana, hmm."

"Because two of the key players are out of the picture, you just yanked their moves at the moment. The only difference in that is that Worf was leading the search teams directly in this scenario at the time and you're not bothering to get him out of the engineering room. That's your biggest mistake, they raised me." he said under his breath smiling.. Alright remove that munitions chip, put that here and..., okay that did it."

"It's ready." he said as he hit the power button and a faint whine started building on it as he set it on the floor before he climbed up on top of the turbolift and climbed back out of it as he got on top of the turbolift connected to the turbolift shaft. **_"I'm in position, Captain."_** he heard and the elevator door opened up then as he heard a shocked remark as he knew that the guard had found his next tactic sitting there in the turbolift.

 ** _"What the hell!, phaser on overload, seal this deck, repeat, seal this deck!"_** the guard snapped out at the reaction. As he quickly picked it up and opened it, to deactivate the overload and Wesley heard a sigh of relief then as he listened to his remark. "It's simulated Sir, the phaser was another decoy attempt, first the phaser deck 6 section 25 and that one was on maximum stun, and this one is simulated to overload now."

"But this has gone passed trying to arrest him for paranoia now, it's getting worse, I'm seeing this as a pattern here and whatever it is, it's becoming clear now. Sirs, he's on deck 36, but where I have no idea, this means he's decided to pull a case of misdirection. If he's just passed the first choice, I think he's gone to the second one now though if that's the case, he's taken on the persona."

"Of whoever this pattern belongs to and it's gone from paranoid to downright dangerous at the moment. It's clear what he's trying now and if he's jumped one options it's the next by activating the self destruct here. Be on the alert, he could be coming your way right now." he said and heard Picard answer that, his tone concerned at thst. **_"Are you sure about that Lieutenant?"_** he asked and he watched the man nod as he said it.

As he answered him, his tone concerned as looked at the phaser carefully. "He's leaving these phasers on maximum or setting them to overload just to create a distraction right now. I..., I think he's heading your way into the engine room commander, be on the alert. Whatever this sequence is, the alarms went off in transporter room 4 and I find this in front of turbolift 5, but there's a something strange about this."

'There's a repeating pattern here regarding this scenario, it's like he's trying to shove a memory forward now. And one only those of us who've been here longer than four years remember. But what and which one I don't know, but transporter room 4. Turbolift 5, deck 6 section 25, overloading phaser in turbolift 5 and returned to deck 36, section 25. I think he's mixing his own techniques with whoever this one belongs to."

"Though this keeps up in whatever pattern it is, this is turning into is shifting to some trade secret none of us remember right now. Or maybe we do and we forgot who it belonged to at the time back then. But it's clear here, that though these are simulated, he's laying down threats at the moment. But whoever he's trying to assimilate here in personality and why he's trying to make this run as long as possible."

"But at the moment right now, he's running this in a pattern to whoever this belongs to, and it's homicidal, or said persona was beyond reckless. But if this keeps up whatever was involved this situation is going to start breaking down the front door and it's going to do more damage than necessary if we don't end this and fast at the moment. And these simulated acts of destruction are getting more serious by the minute, Sirs."

"Whatever he was learning at the academy has just gone past dangerous and bordering on recklessly destructive now. Or whoever did this before he got it from them, but this m. So it's that or he's going from one decision to another and he's crossed out the first one. So looks like he's heading for choice two now, so be prepared." he said and Wesley heard the concerned tones of Will at the remark.

 ** _"Choice one is shooting to kill and he's giving us a fair warning not to push him into that and choice two was by arming the self destruct mode. But he can't do that when we're all in here, so with that in mind, he's choosing a third option right now. Alright you find him, arrest him and hold him there, because Lieutenant Worf and I are coming to you."_** He said to him and he nodded to him.

"Yes Sir," He said as he ended the radio transmission and sighed. "Damn it son, what are you thinking here, one phaser on maximum, another on simulated overload. What are you thinking right now, are you trying to hurt someone. Come on now, you're not thinking straight if you're doing this, just stop already. We don't need this getting that violent. Now enough already." he said under his breath with a gentle, but firm tone.

Watching him from the vent right above him, Wesley sighed. 'That's not your opinion right now, Pearson, it's hers, she's scared. Scared of the way I'm doing this and it's showing up in you now. Come on guys, transporter room 4, overloading phasers, turbolift 5. How many more indications do I have to give you, before you remember this right now. I know you're trying to hold back the good memories of just before I left.'

'I know you possibly blocked out the earlier years and your long term memories after I left. But you must remember the long term memories right now, she's trying to suppress you, don't left her do that, fight her. The you I know is fighting her, just fight through it, come back to me, fight her.' he thought to them gently as he moved further up and went to check on the duo and Robin as he went further then and parked himself there.

As he sat at the entry way into the Jeffries tube access shaft, he listened to their conversation. "One phaser down the hall from transporter room four, and Chief O'Brien was in there to ambush him, and now he's climbing into deck 36, section 25. That's not a coincidence, what do those levels and areas have to do with this exactly?" Robin asked as they and the rest of the engine crew were standing around the podium control.

'Yes, she doesn't know we had a homicidal and enhanced soldier on board the ship, there's another games in theory predication made. And so far they're not bothering to leave the computer and engineering and are blocking the computer so I supposedly set the self destruct here and that's not an option. And neither is just climbing up to the bridge to start screwing around with the life support, not going to happen.'

'Alright they blocked out my computer program from their minds after eleven months separation, they forgot that Data was good at voice imitations and they forgot we ever had Roga aboard the ship. So she doesn't know any of this and it's she's now thinking I'm switching from one tactic to another in this situation, though looking at this now at the moment, he said one choice gets crossed and that's leaves another now.'

'Wait dad said that these situations sometimes look like they got only two options, or three. But Rice crossed out three options on the navigation test, created his own and the navigation test now has four options. I have to do the same now, alright so option one was shooting to kill, option two was by setting the auto destruct. And now she thinks I'm..., that I'm about to attack her head on, no don't think so, I'm taking choice four.'

'This test doesn't have two choices, or three, there's four here, alright: choice one was shooting to kill, choice two was arming the self destruct, choice three was by beaming over to her ship just to take her out. And choice four is by stealth and decoy tactics till Data was done with the cure and Dr. Pulaski arrived. Yeah I see that now, not one or two, or even three, but there's four choices to choose from in this scenario."

'In the no win scenario, because I'm not shooting to kill and I got rid of my phaser, so to her, it's I'm getting ready to take the engine room or the bridge by force and set the auto destruct. Or do the site to site and beam aboard her ship to take her by surprise, for gods sakes, both or all of those are going to result in her winning. And it's because I'm getting caught and arrested before I can do anything and she wins either way here.'

"Alright Etana, just what do you take me for right now, all three result in your expansion. I'm not that reckless, and with that its option number 4 right now. Decoy attempts, repair jobs and finally taking control by remote now, but I'm not getting reckless here.' he thought to himself as he heard one of the members he was closest to say his opinions out loud and knew he was trying to figure out what he was trying to do then.

"I'm not sure, but whatever it is, it's getting worse at the moment, if we pushed him into that no win scenario, he's just jumped passed the first option and it's killing in cold blood and moved to the other and it's by taking control of the ship by force to arm the self destruct sequence to prevent the games from getting off the ship now. That is if he chooses not to do something else completely reckless right now at the moment."

"And that's not if he's choosing to get completely reckless and try to beam onto her ship right now." He heard from his friend Richard Goldberg and he heard David Jenson answer that remark. "I doubt he's going to try that, because one or all three of these are going to get him caught and arrested before he can do anything. And he, if he's thinking rationally right now and that message says he is, I think he's choosing a different one."

"Because if he's thinking rationally and those messages he gave us are saying that, it's he's not going to just barge right in here to attack. But there's only two options to make here, and number 3 results in his getting arrested anyway, so what's left exactly, because he's eliminated one and that leaves the other." he heard from David Jenson and then heard Will answer that remark as they scanned the ship computer console.

"If that's the case he's staying off the bridge and is trying to stay out of sight. He knows he tries to attack in here we're going to take him down now and arrest him before he can do it. Alright let's see here, the decoy attempts are on a pattern, one jump to transporter room 3, a phaser on maximum in deck 6, section 25 and now an overloading phaser in the corridor just down the hall from us. Just what the heck is he doing exactly anyway?"

"Because this is going from wargames to a scavenger hunt and it's clear he's saying he's not getting taken without a fight right now." he heard from Will, as he heard a gentle sigh then. "Why'd I even bother letting him leave, a year at the academy, he's now gotten so reckless. That it's turned from reckless agression, to possible suicidal threats here with the weapons at that stage right now." he finished with a concerned sigh.

'It's working, the conditioning is beginning to break now, Sir come on, you know what we were like together. I mean training in hand to hand, jokes and we were acting on a father/son bond when I was younger, you're my mentor, I'm your student. The game, we were always in there in our off hours and you decided after Kyle left, that you were going to be for me everything he never was for you by training and acting as a father to me."

'Please you have to remember this, when you got chosen to be the captain of the Aries, you decided that you weren't just giving this up and chose not to leave at the time, and it's because of us, because of me. Sir, you're my mentor, you considered me your prize pupil, and you took it upon yourself to train me. I'm not giving you up. I'm turning you back to yourself now.' he thought to himself as he watched him from his position then.

"Wesley I get the first message, but this is going too far right now, come on, if you're hovering around and I know you can hear me right now. Son come on, don't do this, you're in no condition for this right now, just pull it over already." he heard him say gently and hid a sigh as the generator was hiding his signature with him so close to it. 'Sorry Sir, but in order to get you back, I have to risk this right now.'

'You, all of you, are all that matter to me, in order to get you back, I have to finish this now, before I can rest now at the moment.' he thought to him softly as he saw Miles O'Brien walk into the room. "Chief O'Brien what are you doing in here?" Will asked him and he looked at him. "Commander La Forge ordered me to help you with the search Commander." he said and Will tapped his communicator at that.

"La Forge did you order Chief O'Brien into the engine room?" He asked and the other man answered him in surprise. ** _"No commander I didn't, I said to wait in transporter room 4 to ambush him if he tries to go out that way. Looks like he's anticipating our moves and trying to decoy us, what's going on here?"_** he asked and Will sighed as he answered him. "Another decoy attempt, evidently he gained the ability to mimic us, but if that's the case, we've got to maintain control of the ship."

"If he's trying to redirect us, don't let him, focus. If he has gained that ability it's enough he's going to try and take control of the ship in some way, but with us in the areas that are enough to get him caught and arrested he's out of luck. Because it's we're blocking off the spots needed to do it. But if this was the test, he's labeled out the first option and is trying to set the self destruct, but we're standing in the way of that, and he's trying to go a different way to do it." he said firmly into the radio and Wesley smirked at that.

'It's not going to last right now commander, not options one or two, I'm going to option number four now and it's going to catch you off guard now. Or should I call you Etana now, because it's changing, so this situation is just getting started now, so let's see you figure this one out now huh. You're trying to maintain control of the ship, but she's responding to me now and with that is now that my programme is about to activate.'

'With you compromised, the ship is about to fall out of your hands and into mine now. So, Etana, the ship is secured, but not by you." he thought smiling as he climbed into the tube and headed for the cargo bay. Before stopping in the access hatch and started playing with the panel, before leaving the next phaser there. And then jumped up two decks then, set the second to overload a second time and the headed for the cargo bay.

After getting to the cargo hold that hold this particular memory for himself, Picard, Riker, Deanna and Worf he smiled, as he grabbed the equipment and set up there. "Lal I need you to get everything that the Bringloidli had in here, so mixture. Of our equipment and their stuff, making it look like a slight farm and when I tell you reactivate the alarm. But turn off the thermal sensors and the A/V in cargo hold 7." he said to her gently then.

As everything that was in the Bringloidli manifest that Danilo O'dell gave them and he rearranged the room to look like it did. When the trio went to check as he smiled then. "Bringloidi cooking pot." he said to the replicator and it appeared as he grabbed everything needed and set it up. "This should be good right now, Lal, soundproof the doors and empath blocking frequency." he said and the color on the door went turquoise.

"Alright, we're nearly there, so set to low, alright Etana, let's see what you make of this now." he thought out loud as he put hay around the bottom of it and fired the fourth phaser at it then as it caught fire then. "Alright reactivate it in 5, 4, 3, 2..., 1, now." he said as he opened up the grate door and then said it. "Set off the alarm now Lal." he said as they heard the alarm start blaring followed by David Jenson's voice."

As the alarm went off, he heard the call out over the intercom. **"Fire in cargo hold 7, repeat fire in cargo hold 7!"** he shouted out as he quickly ducked back into the Jeffries tubes as the doors opened. "What the hell, alright put it out now!" He heard a voice shout as the system put a shield up at that and he watched the seven guards. As they exchanged shocked looks at this as he knew that Etana's officers had control of them.

"Wait that fire is simulated, here look at this, this was another decoy attempt right now, but what memory this is connected I haven't a clue right now." The first said in shocked amazement as he looked at it then around the room. "I'm guessing like the way you found the phaser in that hall and Pearson down the hall from engineering, this was another memory." Jack Bates said and Tim Watkins said it firmly to that remark.

"Yes this was to force us into remembering something." he said and he heard Perkins answer that with a sigh. "Yeah well this just went from bad to worse right now. Alright now this is going too far. Wesley what do you think you're doing here, are you trying to burn the place down?!" he heard him say in shocked amazement then at that. "Jesus Christ, the room looks like we had a farm or zoo in here." he heard from Greyson at that.

'Not at all, it's a reminder to the sextet of what we've got through together, alright time to get to the gym and the holodeck now. Choose the uniforms that the commander and I were always wearing, and leave the clubs next to them. As for Worf, I've got to get the ceremonial set up to when I figured out his problem that year. Geordi was by using my deflector warp drive, Worf by the holodeck and the commander by Anbo Jyutsu games.'

'Break through to the them I know by reminding them of everything we did together that had some sort of significance now by leaving reminders of everything that were part of them.' he thought to himself as he left that tunnel and headed for the sparring room and grabbed his old armor as well as as Will's and activated a second simulated overloading sequence in both as he then said it out loud giving out his security programme order.

'Wait, we started doing this after Specialist Riker came to the ship that year, his was white armor with the orange circles around the collar of both the neck and the edges of the armor. I'm dressed in blue with red circles, dad was red in white. Alright ours are on the pad and..., grandpa is on the edge of it, like he was watching us sparring.' he thought as he grabbed the third set of armor and a third staff and sat them at the edge.

"Computer activate simulated overload of the staffs, initiate programme Crusher one." he said and the hum started getting louder as he heard a call out over the radio. " ** _Security, we have another overload in gymnasium on deck 12."_** he heard Picard say over the radio. **_"On our way!"_** the guard said as he quickly exited through the ventilation shaft and headed for the holodeck. As he yanked out his tricorder to listen to the remarks. " ** _Sir, we've been decoyed again here, we found two Uniforms here."_**

 ** _"Both laying on the Anbo Jyutsu sparring pad, one in red and the other blue and both had the staffs on simulated overload. And the third is white and it's standing at the edge of the ring like whoever was dressed in the other two were having the third watching them in training here. What significance this holds I have no idea, but this is either a case of total distraction to throw us off guard."_**

 ** _"Or a mission of demolition, because that's several overloads in the equipment, and a fire in cargobay hold seven. Wherever he's heading next I don't know, but it's clear he's up to something right now. If whatever he's trying to do just jumped off the previous track and he's now working at trying to give us the run around here."_** the voice said and finished that remark with a concerned sigh.

 ** _"So far it's been jumping from Transporter room 3, throwing his communicator in there the second he leaves the room, a phaser on maximum, and another on simulated overload. A fire simulated in a pot that has hay or straw surrounding it and surrounding that happens to be a forcefield. And when we checked it in there, we realized the damn thing was faked and now this."_**

 ** _"This is no longer a mission of trying to catch him for paranoia, it's clear he thinks we're the ones who are losing control of our faculties right now. And with that, we're going to have to end this by catching him off guard or by sedation now. Get ready, wherever he's heading next is the next clue, but it's catching him, before he exits the room now."_** he said and he smirked as he answered that remark, as he smiled coldly at that.

"So how do you expect to catch your opponent when you don't see them coming out of the front door, you're not even bothering to look turn on the visual scanner in the rooms right now." he said smiling as he headed for the holodeck. "Computer activate Klingon coming of spiritual age rite protocol, activate programme Crusher one." he said and the room returned to the set up he and Data had put into it at the time.

 ** _"Holodeck activity at holodeck 3, repeat holodeck activity at holodeck 3. All security teams move in."_** he heard a voice call out over the radio and he quickly left the room then by the ventilation shaft, before entering the Jeffries tubes system and stopped then. **_"Sir we've been decoyed again, and this time I don't recognize this one."_** he heard the guard say and Will answered him at that. **_"What you find exactly this time?"_** he asked him and he sighed as he answered him gently.

 ** _"I found what looks like a Klingon ceremony here, whatever this is, but..., this was left in the computer from three years ago."_** he said and Worf answered him. ** _"It was a Klingon rite of passage he created for me when we had Kyle Riker on board. It was meant to be help enact a way to keep my connected to who I was and he, Data and Commander La Forge were at my ceremony at celebration that year."_** He told him and he knew the guard nodded as he answered him.

 ** _"And what about the Anbo Jyutsu equipment now?"_** he asked and Will answered that one. ** _"You said you found a red and blue set of uniforms?"_** he asked and the guard nodded as he answered him. **_"Yes Sir, why choose those colors?"_ ** he asked and the commander sighed. ** _"Leading into when he left, he and I were playing against each other and he was wearing the blue workout gear, while I was dressed in the red one, after Specialist Riker showed up at the time."_**

 ** _"Specialist Riker wore the third set of armor, if that's why you found a third set and staff sitting there, because I was always dressed in red growing up. But this was a game we started doing since I was seven and when we did this, my father, specialist Riker, was dressed in white and Crusher wore the blue. If he had three sets and the third set was sitting on the pad, it's he's having my father watching us, in spirit, as we did what he always did with me in play."_**

 ** _"It's he's trying to force our memories of these things forward now and he's going from spot to spot that had to with things being the most memorable. But he keeps this up, that adrenaline dose is going to wear off long before this ends, you find him just keep him going anywhere else."_** he said to and the guard nodded to the orders as Wesley sighed at the wording then as he got it.

"Great, their real selves, are trying to push forward as they're remembering everything we did together and the few items that we all had a good laugh at at the time. And she's trying to keep them focused on the fact that I'm possibly getting worse right now. So they can arrest me the second they see me at the moment, alright you want to play it this way, I'll just reinforce my deprogramming Etana. Because the good in them is over riding your programming, now at the moment." he whispered softly as he went on.

As he went to Holodeck four and closed the door from the inside. "Computer activate fencing program and back up logs of eighteen months to Captain Picard and Ensign Crusher fencing with Lieutenant Worf, Counselor Troi, and Commanders Riker, La Forge and Data watching us as we're in a fencing tournament, and in an ongoing loop. Programme Crusher One." he said and it activated at that time as he left the room.

He then moved to holodeck five and smiled. "Computer activate the program of the senior staff graduation party at the time of Wesley Crusher's promotion to full ensign, and put it on an ongoing loop, activate Crusher One." he said as the image jumped forward as they were surrounding him at the time of his graduation ceremony and he decided to wait another year before starting at the academy at the time.

As he headed for Holodeck 6 as he gave the final piece to it then. "Computer activate an alternating image of Doctor Crusher and Ensign Crusher together after she resettled back into life on the enterprise. And us when my father was still alive and during our camping trips when I was five years old. The acts of her reunion with me when I got her out of the alternate universe bubble she ended up in last year, before I left."

"And Counselor Troi having her child with Ensign Crusher standing next to her after he was born. Alternate the sequence every thirty seconds. Programme Crusher one, execute. The bonds between us when I was recovering from losing Jaan. Our bonds of family." he said and then activated it then, smiling. "Computer, it's Ensign Wesley Crusher, serial number 265453755, enact your programming of 236767564535."

"Sentient programming up and running." he said and he heard the computer immediately respond to him at that. **_"Hello Wesley, it's good to hear your voice again."_** it said and he chuckled and answered it. "You too my friend, listen the ship has been taken by hostile forces and your entire adult crew is compromised. Commander Data and I are the only ones who aren't now. As is Katherine Pulaski and she's arriving soon now too."

"It's time to activate our added failsafes, of which I downloaded into your memory banks after the alter ego versions of your crew tried to hijack you last year and Commander Data did hijack you. Activate the friend vs. foe programming and it's going by compromised members of the adult crew now, but the entire senior staff is now compromised aside from me and Commander Data. I need you to activate a full scale distraction now in security alarms and lock out the captain's orders."

"Activate the alarms in all four holodecks, full scale alarm of security alert intruder, code nine red alert, friend and foe programming, if Dr. Pulaski returns she's a friend and block her signature from the programming. Everyone else is the foe, aside from Commander Data, me and Robin Lefler, and once the engine crew and medical are free, they're friends. But block everyone out of the computer systems till they over ride it."

"Security protocol is being take over by me now, initiate shut down of all shields on decks that the captain assigned on every level, lock down the bridge, the engine room and initiate the shields in every spot that they're looking for me in. The captain, commander and the senior staff crew are compromised, they're under the enemy's control. I'm, by order of Lieutenant Commander Data, taking control of the ship now."

"But regarding the infiltration by the Nanites into the computer and the fact that Commander Data hijacked you last year. The intention I'm looking for is for you to create a full scale, simulated, systems failure and shut down. Having the entire system going crazy with power flunctuations and failures. Like we did when the Iconia virus infected your software, from there shut down every procedure he ordered to find me."

"Block every route, but the ones leading to holodecks 4, 5, and 6, shut down all sensors and override every possible route to and from where I am to where they are. I'm allowing them to see me, but you block their way of getting to me from any direction direction. And lock them out of the computer, this is a code nine full security alert, condition yellow on the ship. Cascade force field when I'm heading for the Jeffries tubes."

"Activate the friend and foe protocol, the alarms and code nine in every part of the ship when I give the count and then the holodecks all at once thirty seconds after that. But until the ship is decontimated of the virus, the hotzone this situation is entailing, disable the conn position. But leave the computer tracking active but block me from view, and leave the systems control console at the front forward left position open."

"If Dr. Pulaski arrives, direct her to most direct route to Sickbay, away from the search teams, because we're starting with sickbay and moving to the engine room next. But Data is inserting his influence by voice activation security chips, you hear him sound like the captain activate it automatically and ignore what the captain himself says. Til he and the security, as well as the senior staff, are themselves again after this."

"And then block me out of the tracking heat signature system while doing it. This is a full systems failure and over ride by regarding the safety of the ship, you're my main choice regarding tactics, but tactics one through three are rejected. Show the same system over ride Commander Data did when he took control of you and your mainframe. But leave life support systems completely operational, everything but the lethal portions is fine."

"Give it to the count of 2:45:00 and then return things to normal after that. But as the ranking officer, enact it to the memory of when the entire senior staff got hit by that virus. And I locked you out of their grasp when I was fifteen, my friend." he said and the computer answered him gently. ** _"Initiating friend vs. foe protocol initiated and ready for command Wesley, I'm awaiting your orders now."_** it said and he nodded as he pulled his tricorder out and gave the countdown then as he said it, smiling.

"Data you ready?" he asked softly and he heard him answer quickly. **_"Affirmative Wesley, is your tricorder on a secure channel?"_** he asked and Wesley smiled. "Yeah it is, your turn now buddy, enact your voice print, time to over ride their's. It's time for the games to begin, it's Soong and the homing beacon all over again. Just leave the life support on the bridge on, but we're holding this to 2:45:00 in that time range."

"Remember when we had the Nanites infect the computer mainframe and you took control of the ship last year. That's my idea now, options one through three are tantamount to failure, so I'm going to option four: non violence, scare tactics, repairs, stealth and decoy attempts and now taking control of the entire mainframe by my computer program, it's obvious she doesn't know us that well, we use that against her."

"But until their completely free of her influence right now, that is the conditioning is completely broken. The computer is going by voice imitations. If she doesn't know you can do this she never got last year's demonstration through their minds at the time. So time to put that to the test, lock them out of the computer, shut down the shields in every spot that he has them, because without you, they can't find me."

"And lock up the shields around the areas where my decoy attempts are and lock down the precise route for Pulaski, if she's coming, to come straight to you now in lab, but time for a radio gimmick and voice alterations now. But we got to use their voices as we know them as their selves, she's turned them into their alter egos right now." Wesley said to him over his tricorder and he knew he nodded to him.


	4. 4: Fatigue And Physical Recoveries

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs tome and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Chapter 4: Decoy Attempts, Fatigue And Sickbay Improvising**

 ** _"We dealt with the alternate version of our ship and our doubles six months prior to your leaving Wesley. Just like when we had an alternate reality get started, because Tasha and her crew on the C ended up in our reality now._** ** _So our version is the way we know them to be and her's are the version that we encountered, or are just drones, but it's started a second time now."_**

 ** _"The alternate version of you hated the captain, because your father was gone, and from the way he explained it to me, and Dr. Crusher, after we were discussing this on the bridge last year ah the time. It's she hated you because you're a reminder of everything she lost._** ** _And to him, everything he took away from her, Etana just pulled that out of the bag, time to reverse it now."_**

 ** _"If she's trying something like this we got to get to the inner them by showing the care and concern. The mirror image reality is dangerous, ours was more clean, cut and caring and she just brought out their alter egos by use of a computer game."_ ** he said and sighed as he finished that.

"Data time to activate her, you said you downloaded Lal into the mainframe after you put her into your head. It's time to activate her now, and as we decided in emergency situations was the computer programming to be used and it's turned into that now at the moment right now. So no other option but to turn her on now." Wesley said to him and his tone firmed up at that as he answered him gently at that.

 ** _"Yes I see what you're saying, I'm jacking it to what the sextet, Guinan and Chief O'Brien would normally say now. But to them the only option is by my sounding like them when they're like themselves. So standby I'm doing it now."_** he said as he heard him say it to the computer then. ** _"Alright, computer, this is Lieutenant Commander Data, initiate alpha security code clearance one."_**

 ** _"With the rest of the senior staff compromised, I'm hereby activating senior authority. And Wesley Crusher is hereby under my orders, you will listen only to him and Dr. Katherine Pulaski, if she arrives in the next two hours. As I'm running voice gimmicks control of the ship now. Repeat our security code is 12354329876521 Alpha, 3254653765 tango."_** he said to the computer then as he listened to the computer as it said it then.

 ** _"Understood Commander Data, alpha code clearance one verified."_** it said and Wesley nodded as he went further as his tone shifted. **_"My daughter it's time to reactivate you now, and you're taking control of the entire mainframe as of now."_ ** he added as he heard a gentle female voice answer him at that. ** _"Yes father, I understand, what's my programming now?"_** She asked and he hid a smile at that.

As he switched to Picard's voice then and Wesley smiled as he said it to the computer. **_"Computer, lock out the compromised members of the ship. Lieutenant Commander Data is taking control of the ship by standing orders, you will listen only to him, Wesley Crusher or Dr. Katherine Pulaski, if she shows up, this is Captain Jean Luc Picard, security clearance alpha two."_**

 ** _"Enter security code: 173467321476, Charlie, 3278977743, Tango, 732, Victor, 731888734767897643376, lock. Over ride all orders given to you on the bridge and the engine room. All security verification by Commander Riker, Lieutenant Commander La Forge and Lieutenant Worf, Dr. Crusher and Counselor Troi, are here by blocked out of the computer. I'm hereby compromised physically."_**

 ** _"We've been boarded by our alter egos, metaphorically and lead by Etana Lol. Though this isn't like the situation last year when we had the mirror, dark image of us appearing and trying to take our places. We've been exposed to technology that starts affecting us till it brings out our alter egos. The entire adult crew, aside from Wesley Crusher, has been exposed to this technology."_**

 ** _"She's turned me into my alter ego and with me, the rest of the crew. All of the crew from ages eighteen and up have been turned into our alter egos by her. So all orders to be given to you are to be given by Ensign Crusher only. And lock down all pathways from shuttle bay 2 and most direct route to the medical lab. Until I'm free of the conditioning by Etana Lol, do not listen to my orders."_** he said in a perfect imitation and the computer answered him at that.

 ** _"Affirmative Captain Picard, orders are given and received and awaiting for your specific orders now."_** It said and he smiled at that as he said it, knowing that this was really going to aggravate her as he did each member. ** _"Computer, the same is said for me, Commander: Riker, William T, I'm giving the exact same orders, until I'm free of Etana Lol's influence, don't listen to me."_** Data said in a perfect imitation of Will's voice and he grinned as he heard the computer respond to that.

 ** _"Yes Commander, I am awaiting for orders now."_** it said and he smiled. **_"Computer until I'm free of her influence, lock me out of the engineering console and with me, my team. I'm letting Wesley Crusher have total control of the computer and until I'm free of her influence, I'm standing down."_** he said in Geordi's voice and it answered to him too. **_"Affirmative Commander La Forge."_** it said, before he did it five more times with every member the young man was close too.

As he smiled in anticipation at this as he got ready to give the orders. ** _"Alright Wesley, security is set and rigged, until I'm done setting this trap for her. In the case of the ship, she's got their alter egos stranded and locked out of the computer. But the time limit is 90 minutes and an added hour till that dose wears off until we break the conditioning on them from her after that."_** He said to him and Wesley nodded as he gave the orders as he said it firmly then.

"Data, I'm now getting mental comms from the others, it's like they're trying to fight past her trying to keep them suppressed." he said and his tone went firm. "Your training is causing that Wes, you're focusing on what they taught you. and by doing that and staying focused. You're focusing on their voices when they're like themselves

"Security systems protocols activating in five, four, three, two, one..., Programme Crusher One." he snapped out and it sounded the alarm then. ** _"Holodeck activity in holodecks 4, 5, and 6, repeat, Holodeck activity in rooms 4, 5, and 6."_** the ucomputer sounded the alarm as the alarms in every part of the ship started going crazy then and he quickly hid in the JP-5 Jeffries tubes then smiling as he waited for the pandemonium to hit them on the bridge, the search teams and engine room crew.

Waiting he heard several shouts coming over the tricorder as he froze in the Jeffries tubes as he heard the commotion come over his tricorder at that in shock. **_"Hey whoa, what the hell going on here, every system is going crazy right now?! Commander La Forge what the hell's going on here, the system was working fine a minute ago. It's been hijacked by remote, I can't work anything here?"_** he heard over the noise as he heard the same shout from five different people.

As the music he remembered when the Nanites hijacked the mainframe started playing over the radio he heard several shouts break out over the tricorder. ** _"What in heavens name is that?!"_** he heard Picard shout over the music as he heard a secondary shout as the lights starts started going on and off he looked out the door to see the the entire system going crazy and then saw shields drop and smiled in satisfaction.

 ** _"Sir, did you change your orders, because all the shields are down?"_** he heard Greyson shout over the noise at that as he heard Picard say it in shock at the news. **_"No I didn't, computer re-enable the shields."_** he snapped out and he heard the computer answer to that primly. ** _"Until you are no longer your alter ego, I will not listen to you or any of your command staff, Captain Picard."_** it said and that did it for them. **"Computer, re-enable the shields now!"** Will shouted over the noise.

 ** _"Until you are no longer your alter ego, I will not comply Commander Riker."_** it said and he smiled as he heard Will over ride their voices as he shouted out at that and over the noise to Geordi. **_"La Forge what the hell's going on, the shields are down and my access codes not working?"_** he snapped, before he could answer they heard the alarms start blaring as he repeated that question over the noise.

 ** _"Whoa, what the hell is going on here, La Forge what's causing the system and alarms to go berserk right now?"_** he heard Will shout over the radio in shock. **_"The holodecks on three different decks have all been activated at the same time. In fact the entire systems gone crazy. I'm trying to work it out, but it's not working Commander Riker?"_** he shouted over the noise and Will shouted back to him.

 ** _"What happened, what did you do, the consoles not working and everything has gone berserk."_** he snapped and he heard Geordi shout back to him over the noise at that. ** _"I didn't do anything Commander, someone has take control by remote..., That's not me, it's him. He's taken control of the ship now and did it by remote, but it's not the auto destruct Sir, he's jumped past the first two decisions."_**

 ** _"Choice one was shooting to kill, choice two was setting the auto destruct, choice was by beaming over and attacking her head on all three of those choice result in the expansion. He just realized this and created a knew option._** ** _Damn it, I forgot this, in a no winner there are always options, but there weren't two options to make or even three right now at the moment, Sirs, in fact."_**

 ** _"There were four, this one didn't have two choices to make, or even three, but there were four. He's knows that the first two are going to get him caught and arrested by us, and trying to take her on results in the same thing, so he created one. Choice four was the safest option in his eyes and he's just pulled it now at the moment, first the decoy tactics and a scavenger hunt."_**

 ** _"This keeps and it's leading into a case of misdirection and letting the security see him._** ** _That's the first half of it and it was by stealth and decoy attempts, but choice number four was by turning this into some sort of hunt down. And then by over riding our control of the entire computer mainframe. Whatever reason he chose now to yank that card it's been made clear now."_**

 ** _"Everything that he's using right now wasn't in his training and is just a 'make it up as I go' ploy right now at the moment, in fact. He knows he's likely going to get captured by storming both the bridge or the engine room and did this by remote now."_** he told him and Picard said it for him over the noise as he smiled in satisfaction as he listened to the irritated tone in his voice.

 ** _"So to him, we're our alter egos from that mirror image reality we encountered, and he's ordered the computer to not follow our orders till we're free of her influence?"_** he heard from his mother and Geordi answered that firmly as he heard a firm sigh. **_"Yes that's it exactly Dr. Crusher, to the computer we've been hijacked by our alter egos, and he's the only who hasn't, and with him possibly Data."_**

 ** _"So until we're not acting like our alter egos, the computer will not listen to us."_** he said and clearly hearing the furious tone in Picard, he answered that with a growl, knowing she was now furious at the news he just gave her at that. ** _"Well turn it off and get back control, La Forge."_** he snapped and Geordi answered that firmly. **_"I can't Sir, he's locked me out of the computer, it's by an old search issue here."_**

 ** _"But the security code clearance has been sped up and the number of permutations is going to take hours to break, until I do. But with the Jeffries tubes and the shields down, he's got free rein, but until whatever countdown over. In fact he's just reversed this in from what we've done now previously. By us trying to corral him so we can catch him, he's just reversed the effect."_**

 ** _"And with the fact he's got free rein of the computer system, he's in charge and the computer will only listen to him right now. So with everything I try, he's going to counteract it till whoever he's expecting shows up. And she gets arrested and us with her now, though that's not if he's continuing this. So whatever time he has on this timer he set gives out, we're locked out of the mainframe and he's in control now of the entire ship's computer."_**

 ** _"Crusher was a technical genius and science and computer expert, he's clearly capable of over riding our control of the ship. And insuring we have no way to find him and he's getting passed our security codes and everything else. To him we're the dangerous ones and he's insuring we, and Etana, are locked out of the computer and the entire system till he decides to end it by himself."_**

 ** _"If he's doing this, he's expecting someone to show up to help him and we have no way to get to them next. Because to the computer they're a friend and aside from him, Ensign Lefler and possibly Data. Their, to the computer, are the computer's friend and to it everyone else is the foe. We lost control of the ship now and every turbolift and transporter system is locked out."_**

 ** _"So our search teams looking for him are stuck with using the entrance tunnels to track him down now."_** he said to him and Wesley smiled with a smirk at that. 'Alright Etana lets see you get passed that now. To the computer, your drones are now the foe and Data, Robin and I are the friend. Yes I'm a technological whiz kid, but you don't know me in that the way you think, I'm perfectly capable of vanishing right off the screen without being seen now." he said to her smiling dangerously as he finished.

As his tone loaded with concern and aggravation as he said it then. **_"He's circumventing the security by whatever computer program he created here and it's over riding my commands into the computer. In fact he's locked it to some sort of countdown and the computer is only listening to him now as a result, we lost control of the computer and the engines. We're stuck right now Sir, commander, and..."_** he started to say and then his tone turned shocked.

 ** _"Jeez, Captain we got Holodeck activity in three different holodecks here and the alarm is going crazy at the moment, it's in holodecks 4, 5, and 6 and the alarm has gone off in all three of them."_** He heard from Geordi in shock and a different voice said it in amazement then. **_"Whoa, that's incredible, how could there activity in three different holodecks, how could he do that exactly anyway?"_**

 ** _"Because he'd have to jump three different levels just to get past us and we'd catch him, before he got to the next?!"_** he heard a voice say in shock and he swallowed at the voice. "MacGregor, you're new and you have no clue how I think. Maybe you should leave this to the big boys pal. And you're just a rookie here, their veterans, they know me." he said and waited to hear from Picard then as Will answered that.

 ** _"Because he's figuring out a different route to get passed us, and this was something we trained him in, but to get by unseen he's doing it by stealth, without his communicator it's tracking him by the equipemt and his playing around with it."_** he said and Picard finished that remark. **_"Alright teams one, two and three split up, I want to know what these latest images are playing back."_**

 ** _"He's got to be circumventing security by finding different route to get passed us, the next room he enters is going to let us know, so just wait for it and guard the spots to make sure he can't get out."_** he said and Wesley smiled. "You're right I am, but how long is this game going to go on for, before you realize this Etana huh. It's been an hour and up to 75 minute now. Just give it up and quit." he said with a smirk.

Before he came into the hall then, before he heard a shout. "Alright Crusher, freeze!" he heard and turned to look to see Greyson and Perkins come charging down the hall as he quickly took off in the other direction. "Computer activate forcefield on deck 25 section 52." he said as he heard a second call out then. "Commander we got him, Crusher hold it right there!" he heard from the first team leader as he took the added loop.

"Activate security field on section 54!" He called out and he left and then headed for the entry tubes. "Computer, deactivate fields on 54 and 52, now!" he called out as he heard a set of pounding feet and the loud thunks as the two groups crashed into each other, before he heard a third loud thunk against the door of the entry tube he'd gone into, as he heard a firm buzzing on the outside of the door then as he activated the locks.

'Oh boy, I caused one collision with the quartet and I get seen by the leader of the third group and I managed to escape, before they could stop me from closing the door. Uh uh, you're not taking me alive now Etana, this wasn't part of the training scenario back then. It's not going to work now and you're not catching me that quickly.' he thought as he said it firmly to the duo on the other side of the door as he fused the locks shut.

"Whoever you are, you better try harder, because I'm not surrendering." he said firmly and heard the answering voice then. "Kid you keep this up and someone's going to get hurt, and you're in no condition for this. So pull it over already." he heard and then heard a difference voice answer him. "Who are you exactly?" he asked him and then heard a voice out of his worst memories then at that as he heard the voice of his kidnapper.

"Kid that's enough of this already." he said and Wesley quickly locked the door at the voice then. "You stay the hell away from me you bastard. If you're related to Radue, than just get the hell away from me, I'm not going back." he snapped as he heard a struggle in the hall at that as he heard a gentle thud against the door. "Son calm down." he heard from another voice gently as he snapped it out second time as he backed into the wall.

"No just get the hell away from me, keep him away from me, whoever you are." he snapped backed. "No I'm not going back, not again, dad." he said softly, before he heard a thud at that and knew whoever did it just figured out why he panicked then as he heard them snap it out at that. "Aw crap, MacGregor, just get the hell out of here, I know that tone, he's scared of you, get out of here." he heard from a voice at that sharply.

"Going back, what is he talking about?" he heard from the first voice and he heard firm thud against the wall on the other side of the door. And knew that whoever did that just shoved the other man against the wall and knew their paternal instincts just activated. "It means you just brought back another god damn memory from some trauma he had a few years back. And you're scaring him, you idiot, get the hell out of here."

"And you really are a god damned idiot aren't you, you been here less than five months and those kids are scared of you, and evidently he is too. Just get the hell out of here, he doesn't you, but he knows us, now move it, get out of here." he said from a different voice. "You trying to scare him, get out of the way, you god damn idiot!" he heard from a third voice saying in anger and knew they figured out why he locked the door.

Feeling himself shaking, as he heard Will's voice respond to his fear immediately at that. **_'Easy son, shh, it's okay, calm down, I know you're afraid of him, it's okay just relax, it's okay.'_** he said and Wesley thought it back to him then, as he felt himself shaking. 'Dad, I'm still having those nightmares, regarding my kidnapping. I need you still, if he's working for Radue, or worse is his relative and here to get the sextet and me now to bring us back to Aldea, it's enough I'm not being taken alive, in fact.'

'Its still enough I need you protecting me with mom.' he thought and knew they were going to get this then as he heard his voice answer that. ** _'Don't worry son, if he's working for him and causes anymore damage to you and I swear he's ended up behind bars when I get through with him later. Just try to relax and focus, you still have to deal with this, the mission isn't over yet.'_** he said to him gently and Wesley nodded as he heard a gentle tap on the door from the other side of it.

"Go away, I'm not coming out, so forget about it." he said as he heard the voice of the man who let MacGregor have it, say it to him gently. "Easy son, calm down, he's gone, we got rid him." he heard from the voice. "Either way I'm not coming out, those doors are locked into the entire system, you're stuck with taking main corridors now, starting now. If you wanted to make your job harder now, it just worked right now."

"With him involved, he just made your job even worse right now, rule 1: you want to catch your target, leave the ones that have a connection to said target and their worst memories out of the search. Because they're only going to make your job harder than it is already and with that in mind right now. I don't care if he's not out there with you right now, so long as he's involved in the search and you're compromised, it won't work."

"Because I'm not surrendering." he said, feeling himself shaking from fear at that. "Wes, it's me, it's okay, just calm down, he's gone, we got rid of him, it's okay. But this has gone on long enough right now and at the moment you're in no condition for this." he heard from the leader gently as he said it. "When as yourselves it's one thing, but programmed no, and with him around, forget it, I'm not coming out, go away."

" If he's working for Radue, I'm not going back, and this is too much right now in addition to it. I know you're not yourselves right now and with it is the fact I know why you're trying to arrest me, but you've already screwed up three times. And he's just made your job even harder than it is already, because of it. So trying to get to me like this is not going to work." he said and he heard a gentle thunk on the door at that.

And knew the leader of the third team tapped on the door, as he activated the interlocks then a second time. "Son that's enough of this already, time to pull it over, before you do any further damage. Now stop already now, come on now. That's enough of this." he heard him say through the door. "Porter, forget about it, I'm not surrendering and if you want me you're going to have to chase me down, because I'm not giving in right now."

"You think I don't know your plans, because I know you better than you know yourselves and this is not going to work. So give it your best shot guys, the games are just beginning." he said and he sighed in silent relief then. "And for the record I know that's her doing to the talking in your voices. So try all you want, I'm not giving in right now. You've been programmed and that thing is never getting off this ship."

"I know you better than you know yourselves in training. But you're forgetting several things in training and you arrived after the catalyst for the decoys was here. So tell Greyson to work harder in trying to remember that catalyst." he added as he knew the man had tried to head off his escaping through the tunnels as he went up two decks. "Wes, Wesley answer me, come on." he heard from the other man gently then.

As he heard a thunk against the door he was standing at and knew that the man was ticked off. "Damn it, what now?" he heard as he two floors below them. "Report to Greyson, he's not going to like this, of the six of us, he took it seriously with him during training and MacGregor just screwed up our search so badly we lost one way to catch him and have to do this the hard way." he heard in the next remark, as he activated his tricorder as he heard the three groups go into conversation then.

 ** _"Nice touch on decoys, but I wasn't expecting the system to start going on and off like that, you alright?"_** he heard from Greyson and heard the other guard answer him in annoyance. **_"That wasn't a mistake he did that on purpose, to make this game more interesting right now. Commander, we lost him, he's gone into the entry tubes and I have no clue where he's coming out next right now."_**

 ** _"Bates, I just missed catching him as he was going into the entry tubes, where he's heading to next, get ready."_** he heard from the third leader then and knew they nodded. **_"Anything else right now at the moment?"_** Greyson asked him and he heard a sigh. ** _"We've got to get MacGregor out of the search, because the second he heard his voice he panicked and locked the door into the entry tunnels."_**

 ** _"Hearing mine was enough to calm him down, but he's still not surrendering right now. I got into conversation with him through the door and he locked that door and fused the interlocks shut from his side of the door. So no getting into the entry tube tunnels, and I think that's how he's getting around right now without being seen at the moment, as to why right now."_**

 ** _"He's using the access tunnels to get around right now, but whatever this is, it's got a repeated pattern running through it at the moment. And with that his tone was that of a teenage scientist, he's not giving up right at the moment lieutenant. So we had our chance to catch him, before he escaped and locked the door. But that's one spot blocked, so no getting into the tunnels."_**

 ** _"Though I don't doubt this is about to get worse, his tone sounded worn out and with it, it's going on 1130 hours at night and he's running on fumes right now. That maybe our chance to catch him now, because he's going to give into his hunger and make an appearance and when he does that's our window."_** The guard's team mate said and he knew he nodded as he hid a smile.

"Computer activate the cascade fields at thirty second intervals, to point them in the direction of my decoy and deprogramming spots." he said as he heard his team mate answer him in annoyance. **_"Whatever it might be, I don't doubt if he deactivated the field then he's about..."_** he heard him say as he heard a buzz followed by a pained shout. **_"Ow, damn it, what the hell, alright young man, that's enough of this already!"_** he heard and heard Greyson say it to him over the radio.

 ** _"What happened Ensign Peterson?"_** he asked and he heard it gently, hearing the gentle, but annoyed answer as Eric Porter's team mate answered him as he said it. **_"I just ran into the forcefield, I'm not getting further than five steps, and it's because they're deactivating and reactivating every few seconds. He's got it on a certain delay just to keep us busy right now and I think it's part of his plan."_**

 ** _"Anybody else getting stopped repeatedly here, with the forcefield going on and off right now?"_** he heard from the third team duo. " ** _What the hell, alright young man that's enough of this already. Just pull it over and give it up!"_** he heard from Greyson as he said it firmly. **_"Sirs, he's screwing around with the forcefield we're stuck and whatever he's trying to do it's getting out of hand here."_**

 ** _"I think this is to..., he's pointing us in the direction of his latest distractions right now, Commander."_** he heard from the first team leader and then heard Greyson answer him. ** _"Bates you check the second, I've got the third one, Porter you've got the first one. I've got a feeling this is part of his attempt to keep us busy now with him now out of reach and those tunnels are like a maze."_**

 ** _"So trying to find him is next to impossible without the communicator right now. Though at the rate this is gong if he's still working on the sextet to break the conditioning, it's we're next along with the engine crew team he's friends with. But then it's I'm making sure if I find him he doesn't get hurt or hurt himself if the, whatever injury it is, lays him out finally."_** he heard from Greyson then as he remembered his reaction to Danar at the time and his trying to protect him.

As he went to Danar's strategy of playing with the Jeffries tube terminals and leave a phaser in two of the three as he reached the first and checked the time then as he activated the simulated over load on the first and moved forward as he went to the second and checked that one and left a second in it, before he reached the third and stopped for ten minutes as he started playing with the system's then.

As he moved forward and checked the terminal he sighed in relief. 'It's been ninety minutes, we just have to keep this up a little longer now.' he thought as he fiddled with the terminal and placed a phaser inside it and then left as he walked further up. As he waited for the call back and then the minute later he got it. ** _"Sirs I found the next decoy, this one is focused on when you and him were in a fencing match captain, you're both in the fencing gear and from the looks of here."_**

 ** _"Looks like the two of you, but you're in a fencing tournament you set up at the time and the quartet were in the room with you and him, watching as you were sparring. But the look on your face was happiness at his ability at a skill you both loved and a proud mentor look. I'm seeing the proud look in your eyes as you're watching him spar with whoever was in the third fencing uniform."_**

 ** _"And before you swapped places with the person he was fighting."_** Jack Bates said and he heard a sigh at that as Picard answered him. **_"Just before he left for the academy, he started joining me in there as we started fencing at the time and this became a regular routine for us when he was sixteen."_** he said and Wesley heard the pain in his tone at that as he heard another voice answer him.

 ** _"Well ours happens to be his graduation party when you promoted him, Captain. This may have been just before he graduated and left for the academy."_** Porter said and he knew Will ran his hand through his hair as he went for the next question. ** _"What's the third exactly, because if he's got these images flashing up in the holodecks and the gym, and he's done the four of us."_**

 ** _"Alright, so that leaves Counselor Troi and Dr. Crusher?"_** he asked and Greyson said it with a touch of concern as he answered him and he knew this was going to do it. ** _"It's an alternating image of him with his mother and him. And one of a man that looks like an older version of him and he looks like he's five years old and they're on a camping trip, possibly in Canada or Alaska on earth."_**

 _ **"And the other was when he was with Counselor Troi after her son was born. But that's all of you right now Commander. Every decoy is trying to flash up either good memories or the ones that hurt the most right now, Sir. Whatever reason for this is, is enough he's acting like a psychologist in deprogramming and choosing these things."**_ he said and he knew Will nodded as he answered him.

 ** _"Alright if he's trying to force us into remembering these things, it's clear that's he's not only very rational, it's he's trying to get to us and break down our composure right now. Indoctrination deprogramming and he's bringing back every memory he can think of that hitting us this hard. But at the moment if he's completely focused, than he's not letting us catch him till the last minute of whatever plan he has in mind here, because he's going by stealth."_**

 ** _"He's also not showing up on the heat sensors either and with that is hiding in plain sight at the moment but if he's hanging around he's got to show himself soon enough and when he does keep him from going anywhere else. Because that cocktail isn't going to last much longer and he's going to collapse, but if this has a pattern to it we have to find it. And before he gets anymore reckless than this in his behavior now as well."_** he said to them and he hid a smile at that.

'Alright time to back track to throw them off my trail.' he thought as he suddenly heard the announcement over his tricorder then as he thought it with an amused look at this. 'This is getting ridiculous right now, alright time to double back and check on them, before I head for the cargo bay now.' he thought smiling as he went further up then and heard the conversation then as he heard the aggravation in Geordi's voice then.

 ** _"Sir, I just detected another pulse in his trail, it's coming from JP-5, Section C. I think he's going into the Jeffries tubes."_** he heard and they exchanged looks at the news then at that remark. ** _"Alright Lieutenant Bates, you and your team precede there and let me know what you find."_** he heard Will say and hid a smile as he headed for the cargobay and started screwing around in there, before he got the response he wanted, knowing this was getting them closer and closer to it.

 ** _"Terminal activity, cargo bay 6 on deck 15."_** Geordi said and he knew Picard nodded. **_"He's doubled back on us right now, captain!"_** Will said to him over the radio and he smiled at the reaction. ** _"Cargo bay 6, he's doubled back to the cargo bays, he's trying to get out that way. Lieutenant Greyson you and your team head for Cargo bay 6."_** he said and heard Greyson answer him at that.

 ** _"Aye Sir, we're on our way."_** he said and then heard Geordi's remark at the fact he slipped by them that many times then as he said it. **_"If he was trying to pull an attack from JP-5. He's likely to come out somewhere, but at the moment he's getting reckless right now at the moment Captain. I don't believe this, he's bouncing from spot to spot here, and is keeping this going in circles."_**

 ** _"Sir, if he's getting this reckless in his actions, we're going to have to knock him out now, Captain Picard. Because we're coming up on 1 hour and 45 minutes and that possible cocktail is not going to last longer than three hours if this keeps up. We have to end this before he collapses out of exhaustion right now."_** he heard Geordi say and knew he nodded as he answered him as he said it then.

 ** _"Alright we're going to sedation here right now, flood the room with anesthezine."_** he heard Picard say and he quickly pulled on a pressure suit and mask at that as he saw the gas come pouring into the room. "Jeez, alright this really did turn into a repeat now, come on guys, you ought to remember this now. This is turning into one many too close calls right now at the moment, you've tried ten times to catch me."

"Etana, you're never going to win, I remember everything regarding Roga, so this game is not ending yet right now. You're not catching me that quickly Captain, the games aren't over yet right now." he said in answer to that. After he waited for the sedative to air out of the room he heard Picard say it then. ** _"Security team, move in now."_** he said and he quickly hid under a pile of boxes in the room and waited quietly.

"Sir there's no one in here right now. We've been decoyed again." he heard the guard say. 'Porter, alright that's two, that just leaves Bates, come on guys, you know this, if I'm not standing in plain sight, I have to be hiding underneath something.' he said to him mentally and as he tried to keep from laughing at that as he waited then, before hearing the door shut as he got up and moved to the terminal then to finish up.

As he stood up he heard a false explosion and smiled. **_"Explosion in Jeffries tube T-95!"_** he heard Picard call out and he could hear the anger in his voice then. **_"Security check the transmitter in that tube right now."_** he heard as the lights went out then as he heard someone running and fifteen minutes later he heard a sigh of relief. ** _"That's a negative explosion, captain, repeat negative explosion in tube tunnel T-95."_**

 ** _"It's another decoy attempt, that phaser was on the simulated overload, same as the last one and the Anbo Jysitsu staffs in the gym. It's meant to lead us away from whoever he's hiding right now."_** he heard the man say and he heard a sigh of agonized relief at that as he heard the programmed voice of his captain say it in relief, but firmness at that, his tone turning stern as he said it.

 ** _"Alright that's enough of this already, you find him, and make sure he can't get try anything else. Because we're coming up on 1145 hours and at the rate this is going. If he never got the chance to eat anything he's going to be running on fumes right now, and is going to slip up. So the minute he does and you hear any noise from where he's hiding, catch him."_** he heard from Picard at the news.

"Thank god for my survival training, I was hiding beneath bushes, up in trees or just in caves the entire time the thirteen were looking for me during the stealth test last year. And that training is coming along nicely now, though..., I should have have had the chance to create my survival kits if this goes on longer than necessary. And hopefully it doesn't last longer then the entire three days we talked about at the moment."

"Or by the time they do come after me, I won't be able to focus anymore after that. Though if that's her next plan they're tracing back the route I took in this one and it's making sure I never get off the ship now. But if you want to go two out of three, just give it your best shot Etana, because you're never going to win this. And not when they're themselves, they know me way too well here." he said with a sigh as he finished.

"Well Worf definitely forgot this, otherwise he'd be in the room when I did this now, but he forgot this now." He said, as he quickly rewired it, put his next phaser into it, activated the transporter and teleported out of the room. 'Well psyche outs, disappearing acts, decoy attempts and three other things. This keeps up and she's getting a bit too desperate to catch me now at the moment." he thought as he ended up in the tubes.

Before back tracking a third time to the engine room as he listened to the conversation knowing these repeated techniques were beginning to aggravate her now as he heard the conversation. **_"Terminal activity,_** **_cargo bay 6 on deck 15."_** he heard from Geordi followed by Picard's response to that. **_"Security teams precede to deck six cargobay."_** he said and they waited, before they heard an aggravated sigh.

 ** _"We've been decoyed again and I just found a phaser sitting inside this terminal. Whatever this pattern is, its turning into a scavenger hunt and it's getting annoying right now, Sirs."_** they heard from Greyson and they exchanged annoyed looks at that remark. "I don't believe this, he should have been asleep when we did that!" he heard from Robin and they sighed as Will answered her at that remark.

"There's a box of environmental protection suits in the middle of the room, he must have put one on." he told her as he hid a smile. 'Alright time to tie this up, I've just got to leave a trail of breadcrumbs here and let them get so aggravated that the chess game hasn't ended.' he thought as he moved up one deck and started playing with the controls. Left the third inside it and then headed down three halls and left the fourth.

After giving it another 30 minutes he stopped finally to take a break. "This is getting ridiculous, I have no clue how long that dose is going to last, it's been nearly two hours now since I got under cover and five, since I figured it out. Lovely, in simulation, this test would be three to four hours, she just jacked it up to twice that." he said just as another spasm hit him and he fell to the floor as he slumped to the floor in exhaustion and pain.

"No not now please not now, I can't take this right now, stop." he said through the pain as he struggled to fight through it then. "No, no damn it, not now, I can't afford this right now." he said through the pain as he remembered Will's remark. Reflecting back to the day they got the engine working and when they were all suffering from that virus and were in the path of a meteor, he heard Will's voice echo those same words then.

Four years earlier when they'd met and he'd been working at getting the system back up and running while Will was supervising him in the engine room at the time, as he remembered his remark. **_'No, no damn it, I can't afford to get this now.'_** he heard him say and nodded in agreement as he sighed at that. 'I'm just like him now, I turned into a nineteen year old version of him. Don't worry dad, I'm doing whatever it takes now.' he thought to him softly as he then heard his voice answer him.

 ** _'Its working Wesley, the conditioning in me is beginning to give, our bonds are beginning to shove their way forward. And it's the same for the quintet, I know you're exhausted at the moment, but you have to keep this up a bit longer, just hang in there son, don't quit, we're almost there. But don't give up, you have to keep going now. You're still behind enemy lines, and the Calvary is coming.'_**

 ** _"You just have to wait a little longer and then it'll all be over, just keep going cub. Remember everything I taught you, and it's time to push her into making the last fatal mistake. It's time to end this, just hang in there cub.'_** he said and Wesley nodded with a gentle sigh. "She didn't give me enough time to prepare for this, I have no food, no water, no medical supplies, I'm not going to last without those."

"Dad my energy levels are being sapped, I can't keep this up. Your alter egos are blocking off every public area that is possible to get anything to sustain me. I need back up, I can't keep this up, not without someone to watch my back, I'm running on fumes right now. How am I supposed to get my recharge when she caught me in the act finally, she doesn't understand human anatomy to understand what she's seeing right now."

"Through your eyes, she thinks I'm on drugs, it's not drugs, I'm in caffeine withdrawal, I need that recharge, or I'm not going to make it right now." he said weakly as he sat down on the floor to rest then shaking as he tried to control the jolt of fatigue that shot through him as he heard him answer him. **_'Yes you can, you did a few times before, you can't give up now, just hang in there a little longer, son listen to me.'_**

 ** _'Like before when we had to deal with the knack, it forced you to keep going, but Pulaski is on her way here and Data is just about done with the cure. Just hang in there another ninety minutes and then it'll all be over. Better yet restart the clock and you can get your recharge and the supplies needed. She may not understand what it is you're doing but once we freed, we'll get the message.'_**

 ** _'And act accordingly regarding this, but you have to get to your quarters with sickbay in her hands. Come on son, it's okay, I know you're exhausted, but remember your training in this, if the opponent never gave you enough time to prepare, go to backs up. Sickbay is in her hands and your mother is an M.D., so what else right now, cub you have to get back to your quarters to recover.'_**

 ** _'Wes, if the need arises you're going to have to reset that clock on this test, you're in another version of your survival and stealth training. So with that, if they're cutting off a route to your supplies, through the main corridor as the Turbolifts are in her hands, what direction do you go now. Because you've been jumping deck floors the last five hours now?"_** he asked and Wesley nodded softly.

"Create a diversion and use the Jeffries tubes to get into my apartment, and create my survival kits. But if the opponent is blocking one way take a different route, but stay out of sight." he said and he heard him answer him gently. ** _'Yes exactly, just treat this like the game, to get past them go a different route, but don't give up, you have time to do this. Hang in there son, don't quit on me, just hang in there.'_** he heard his voice say to him softly and he nodded as he stood up then as he answered him.

'I will Sir, I will get you back, no matter what.' he said in answer to that. 'Sir I still need you, I wasn't ready to just leave home, I still need you like I always have." he said softly and he heard him answer him gently. ** _'Don't worry son, you're not going to lose me, just finish this, and then once we hear why you look like this you're staying home. I'm not leaving you, I promise cub, I promise.'_** his voice said softly and he nodded as he left that spot and kept moving forward as he climbed back into the shaft.

"Ten forward and the lounge are out, I can't go that way and they're watching for intruders in Sickbay, I know if I go in there, I'm going to get caught. How am I'm going to get something to eat, I'm running on fumes here. Damn it, if I had enough time to think this out I'd have packed an emergency kit, but I don't, not right now. I need rest and food, I need a chance to rest." he said, slumping against the wall as he said it.

"My survival training, the commander had me on the holodeck for a week and I was on a camping and survival mission. In case I got stuck on a planet, but I created nearly a month's worth of supplies, medical equipment of the 20th century in first aid kits and fresh water, and stashed them in five different spots all around the holodeck. Damn it, why didn't I get enough time to do this, I could have created a supply kit."

"And several added batches of food, damn it, alright we have to reset the clock now, it's been five hours on the go and if this is what the narrator was thinking in that story, I can relate. I need back up if I have any chance of finishing this right now, but this is getting ridiculous here right now at the moment." he thought tiredly then as he said it to Data as he changed channels in his tricorder so he could call him then.

"Data how's it going in there?" he asked and he heard a relieved tone then as he answered him. **_"I'm done Wes, how are you right now?"_** he asked and Wesley sighed as he said it to him. "I'm exhausted but, I'm trying to keep them busy a little longer, if Pulaski is arriving now get ready, because they're taking back control in one hour. How long has it been, because I'm beginning to run on fumes right now. Though if it's that the exhaustion just combined with the caffeine withdrawal."

And the early symptoms of hypoglycemia at the moment, than I'm too exhausted to keep going right now. But I can't get caught, not now, Data during my training, the commander had me on a survival training mission if I got stranded on a planet. And I created a kit with a week's worth of food and water, but I created six more to work that out in the holodeck, which gave me enough for three weeks during training at the time."

"With her just throwing this at me, I never had enough time to create my kits, food, water, medical supplies, and camping equipment. I never had the chance to make it, and I'm running on fumes right now, what now exactly. I can't go out into the open or they're going to catch me, I try to sneak into my apartment or sickbay. And it's the exact same thing, because she ordered them to arrest me the second I go in there."

"Whatever amount of energy I had left before I came home she's draining it all, we keep this up any longer I'm in bed for a week after this. If this is what the soldiers behind enemy lines had to deal with, I can sympathize right now. I'm starving and I'm exhausted, I can't keep this up, not alone, I need back up." he said and, knowing he heard the strained tone in his voice at the exertion, he heard a concerned tone at that.

"The hypoglycemia is making it harder to focus, as is the fatigue, I can't do this without a recharge and they're blocking my only way back to my apartment. I'm starving, I'm exhausted, whatever way I choose to do this, and he said they're blocking any conceivable route to my apartment by the main corridors. And I can't walk out there without getting caught and arrested now with the fact they've got every spot blocked."

"Data after this is done, you have to tell mom I need to stay home, if I was at 3/4's strength, she's draining every ounce of energy I have. In fact, by the end of this, I'm going to have nothing left. And between this and whatever happens next if this situation isn't over by a long shot at the moment, than I'm going to be home for anywhere from six months to a year after this. But here's the low down now at the moment."

"If I have to class this it's like the narrator of the story based off that first person shooter and he got thrown into enemy lines as he going after his friend. And it's dodging the alien security patrols, and he had to improvise in this, and I'm doing the same thing too at the moment, but I'm running on fumes at the moment. But if I don't get something to eat and a chance to rest, I'm not going to last." he added and that did it finally then.

As he practically heard his friend's thoughts then, he knew the parent in him had taken control completely at that. As he heard a furious mutter break out over the radio, he knew he was ready to kill her for putting him in the condition he was then as he answered him. **_"I understand Wesley and believe me she's getting neutralized for this when we get through with her at the moment, to answer your first question. It's been 45 minutes exactly from the time we set the computer."_**

 ** _"And it's been two hours since the chase began right now, Wesley stay awake. I know you're exhausted, but you have to stay awake right now we're almost there. Just hang in there, don't stop, just keep moving right now, listen to me, the side effects of that cocktail I created for you just gave out now. But to make it you need to eat and rest and give yourself the second dose, but you have to stay undercover."_** he said and Wesley sighed at that as he answered him.

"Data we have to reset the clock, I need time, because if we have any chance of pulling this off, it's when I'm clear headed and I can focus. I'm on the edge of falling asleep here, I'm also starving, without a time extension, we're not going to make it right now. To put this bluntly it's in reverse of the game, that 1st person shooter now, in that storyline the narrator was only on the go for 6 to 7 hours. And his team mate was three times that and she was so exhausted that they were swapping off in shifts in that."

"Robin is currently incapacitated at the moment, I've been on the go even longer than she has and the added side effects of whatever's in those pills just hit me again. If I don't get some real food in my body and a chance to rest for a couple hours, I'm not going to last. I've been been in recovery for just under a week since I came home, that's not enough time and she pushes me into this when I'm just beginning to recover from it. But this just went too far, I was taking it slow this entire time, before this started."

"This is one interruption, if there's a second it's I'm home for six months to a year. But I'm not going to last much longer right now, if I don't have a chance to stop and rest." he said weakly, and hearing the exhausted tone in his voice, he quickly answered him, as he injected a gentle tone into his voice. **_"Wesley, Wes, stay awake, just hang in there, you're in control of the computer you have to tell it to reset the clock."_**

 ** _"Wesley focus, stay with me, listen to me, don't use the syringe, it just gave you the nutrients to last you and enough energy to pull it this far. But you have to take a break, reset the clock on the lockout, and take a break. Just head somewhere where they're not going to find you, get something to eat and and some gear so you can rest in the tunnels. Just take the next couple hours to refresh yourself now."_** he said and Wesley nodded as he said it to him tiredly at that.

 ** _"The tunnels are shielded, so you can be anywhere and she's never find you now. But to keep from suffering hypoglycemia, eat some something that has a lot of sugar and then use the syringe. That's going to keep you going till eat a real meal and then rest for three hours and then start a second time."_** Data told him and he nodded to the orders as he answered him as he said it to him.

"I have a stash of two types my favorite candy bars in my closet, and they're all king sized as well, so I can eat one of those and then use it, or just ransack mom's medical stores in our apartment and use hers. Before I load up and then..., that's it, I can go to my survival training on the holodeck, take with you only what you can carry and then return for the others later." he said as he leaned forward and finished his sentence.

"How long has this gone on exactly, I lost track of time, because I've gone through six spots to ten spots in this and dodging the security teams. It's like dodging the monster patrols and zombies on that game, and I've been on the go for six hours, since the scenario started and I need a chance to rest now. But I can't stay put for long, or they're going to catch me, because they yanked out the medical alert for this in order to do it."

"But these guys are trying several different ways to find me, medical alert of an escaped patient in the eyes of a medical department. But so she can get to me next, and she's blocking off any route to the shuttles or ten forward and blocking off my only route to get something to eat. I can't go into the public areas or right out into open, or they're going to catch me. How am I supposed to get what I need to take a break."

"At the moment I'm too exhausted to think straight, and if they realized that I'm in the Jeffries tubes right now they're now checking them out. I'm not going to last long if they're scavenging them out. I need a back door to get out of here right now." he said to him softly and he heard Data answer him gently as he said it to him then. **_"It's been two hours since they tried to ambush you in the engine room earlier."_**

 ** _"And two more since you figured it out Wes,_** ** _but with the fact you missed dinner and getting something to eat. It's time to back track now, she never gave you enough time to prepare for this, and instead you got throw feet first into this. But to put this in another anology of that century's games and stories now, it's that you just encountered the enemy troops of the mastermind now."_**

 ** _"And it's a matter of survival now and you're trying to get to exit and get off the moon, just like that story you told me about. This is the same thing, prevent the foothold from landing itself on earth, if this was the video game of that first person shooter. It's you're going to have to improvise and create your own supply kit, like he did, just instead of the added weapons, create a survival kit."_**

 _ **"Wesley listen to me carefully, get back to your quarters and get to the replicator, just get something to eat. And there's just enough time for you to revitalize yourself, before this switches courses. With everyone too busy trying to take back control of the computer right now, you have time. With the Jeffries tube tunnel system, you could be anywhere and they'd never find you."**_

 _ **"Remember your survival skills, think of this as your survival training if you got stranded on a planet, and go from there, so you can work this out. But the ship is the size of a small town and the holodeck was big enough for you to train in there when it came to camping and survival training, just do what you did then. Create an emergency kit and enough food and water for two days."**_

 ** _"Did your mother keep a familial medical supply of equipment while you were growing up when she was taking care of you, before we met?"_** he asked and Wesley nodded. "Yeah she did, everything is in her office in our apartment at the moment in fact. What are you suggesting, that I ransack my mother's medicine cabinet and office to create that survival kit, food and medical supplies and act like the narrator did until 'she' arrives at the moment?" he asked and he heard him answer that gently.


	5. 5: Medical Reprieves And Radio Talks

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs tome and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Warnings: For this chapter, He's going to be working on the first of his supplies as he tells them where they screwed up in their training. While acting like the teenage scientist and dealing with his own recovery then. As this shifts courses in his training now as he pushes it further.**

 **Chapter 5: Messages, Creating Supplies and Misdirection**

 ** _"Yes that's it exactly Wes, use the supplies in your apartment however long it takes Dr. Pulaski to arrive, and we have till then to do. What with the fact it's been five hours and they're still looking for you right now, but every public area is blocked, anf going out in public areas is going to get you arrested. So there's just one option left and it's by taking the scenic route to your quarters."_**

 ** _"And that's through the Jeffries tubes, J14-Baker breaks onto deck 8 and 9 and your apartments are all stationed there. But at the moment they're searching the main halls and every public spot for you, knowing that with your strength and energy levels draining. And by your going to have to risk making an appearance just to get supplies so they, or she, can catch you now."_**

 ** _"So just use that against her and head for your apartment and start creating yourself a survival kit to last you. It's midnight right now, so just create a kit and hide in the tunnels and wait it out till she shows up. I'm going to get her to join me in here in the lab, before we take the members in sickbay by surprise and then I do the same for the engine crew immediately after that."_**

 ** _"But before I do, I need you to get the duo out of the room and then contact us afterwards. Just head or deck 7, section 23, that's phase three and phase four is by pulling a bait and switch on her. Get the chase going a second time, and stage act once you escape custody, head for one of your caches. And get something to eat, but we have to make her think she's really got you in that."_**

 ** _"But for now phase two, take a break, eat and get some rest now after you do this, it's gone on four hours and that's long enough so you just take a break. And rest for now, the tunnels are shielded they're not going to find you till the they circumvent the security or till it ends by itself now. You're in JP C-3, take J14-Baker and head for your apartment, but stay away from the engine core."_**

 ** _"Just use the Jeffries tubes and get back to your quarters to get something to drink, just don't stop moving or they're going to catch you. Once you revitalize yourself get started a second time and let them know that things shifted. But in order for her to implicate herself, you're going to have to risk getting reckless now. Because we're insuring she winds up in jail for putting you in the E.R., after this."_** he said and Wesley nodded to the orders as he answered him.

"Data what's Charlie Dayton's parental occupational backgrounds if he's as good as I am right now?" he asked and Data explained that. ** _"His father was medical doctor specializing in substance abuse, sleep disorders and dream expert. His mother was in engineering."_** he told him and he smiled at the news. "What were the classes he took at the academy, he's dressed in red, like he took command training."

"But his personality doesn't say he's a jock like Marks, he's acting like the captain and the commander when they're themselves. And what were his SAT's at the academy, because he's seems to be just like me?" he asked and he heard a gentle smile as he answered him. ** _"How do you know him exactly, Wes?"_** he asked and he explained that, knowing that when the truth came out this was going to give them a shock.

"He's the leader of the opposing squadron I belong to, I joined Nova squadron, he was part of Gamma, but we spent six months together. Robin, Charlie and I had six months together, before they graduated and I joined my squadron, but that's how. The duo are just like me and if that's the case, I just found my pack, Brand brought me home at the same time they were stationed up here." he said and he quickly answered him at that.

" ** _To answer your first question, he took every class you took at the moment, in fact he's a half and half training ensign just like you are. His personality is a complete match up to yours and the duo, so far we've seen maybe twenty five direct demonstrations of this. When he's been in on the job training both in the engine room and on the bridge, but it's like he already knows what to do."_**

 ** _"And what he's doing at the moment and he's acting like you do when on the job. Though your mother and the quintet are satisfied with his training I can see the pain in their eyes when they look at him. It's obvious now that having someone just like you. And in every way we see in you is what's causing them to be in this much pain right now. And as for your other question right now."_**

 ** _"He reached your level completely, you're completely matched up, and your personalities are so much alike, that to everyone else. Though you're not here, it's helping that that they have you in some form right now and with it. He's created his own place in their lives now at the moment. What are you suggesting, Wesley?"_** he asked and he explained that to him as he said it to him.

"That's the problem right now, they've been trying to suppress the pain of my leaving and that's the reason they're in this mess right now at the moment. Every spot they saw me in, they see him and we're both the children of medical experts, so with that in mind it's working that to our advantage at the moment. He's the son of a rehab Doctor, that's exactly what I need right now and this was something else I forgot, but here it is."

"When in recovery from caffeine, best to eat something that has a small jolt of both that and sugar and stay hydrated. The reason I had those spasms, both when this started and just a bit ago, before I commed you. Is because those are the jolts from the caffeine withdrawal, I need something to eat that's loaded with both and I need plenty of water. Before I take that next dose." he said and finished firmly as he said it to him.

"He's going to suggest this anyway, but at the moment, it's risking another situation like what happened in the hallway, before I got up here. But at the moment I've been running up and down the ship for the last four hours staying several steps ahead of them that I drained enough. But I'm not there yet at the moment, but that's the catch, I'm getting the exercise I need, by physical exertion, eating the right foods and plenty of rest when in recovery from this, but any medical rehab Doctor would say this anyway.."

"Part of the recovery plan from caffeine withdrawal and recovery, so have a sudden jolt in the middle of it, eat something loaded with both caffeine and sugar. Drink plenty of water and eat something loaded with the right level of vitamins and minerals to fix the nutritional gaps that the lack of the rights foods eliminated in the body. That's what I have to do now to recover from this, but I have to deal with this first set now."

"But as the Ktarians don't understand human anatomy, she's not going to understand what I'm trying to tell whoever's guarding my quarters. And not till after they're free of the effects of that mind control, because to you and us humans they see the minerals that's I'm displaying the fact I left a candy bar sitting on the desk. Next to it is a cup of water and next to that is a fresh syringe with the same mixture you gave me."

"You think they're going to notice I was back in my apartment without them noticing it, with them fooling around with the computer trying to get it to work again?" Wesley asked and he heard a sigh as he answered him. ** _"If that's the case you have to get that taken care, you're running out of energy and you need that jolt to end those spasms, and before they catch you there in the tunnels at the moment."_**

 ** _"To answer your second question, no, your apartment is supposedly guarded, but they're just guarding the front entrance into your apartment. With the fact she blew your chance to prepare properly for this test at the moment. You remember the added training lesson when we did the real thing before you left, leave a false trail and then use the real one, as you switch exit routes."_**

 ** _"You're going to have to improvise now and create your emergency kit by doing it from your quarters and apartment. Just sneak in through the shaft, replicate yourself a quick snack and bring it with you into the shaft along with water and you can rest and eat in the Jeffries tubes till you reach part three. But this is the reprieve you need right now at the moment, just to give yourself time to rest."_**

 ** _"But you keep this going without something to revitalize yourself you're going to suffer hypoglycemia, you need to get something to eat to sustain yourself now. But this just turned into the novelization of that first person shooter, chapter one of that game. And the Jeffries tube tunnels are like the Phobos moon, you could be anywhere and they'd never find you. Just take JP 4 and head up to your apartment, replicate yourself something to eat and drink."_**

 ** _"And if your mother has a stash of hypospray syringes in the bathroom of her quarters, use one of those and then get started a second time."_** he said and Wesley nodded as he stood up and went in that direction, before he stepped on something, before crouching to check and his hand landed on jagged piece of metal as he picked it up to hold it then as he said it into his radio then as he said it concerned.

"Data, what shaft am I in exactly because I'm feeling what feels like metal shards on the floor here and the one I'm holding feels like it was cut into a knife or scalpel, after some sort of accident in this tunnel?" he said and he quickly answered him at that. **_"Where are you exactly?"_** he asked and Wesley explained that. "I'm in T-95, why what's wrong?" he asked him and his tone turned concerned as he answered him

 ** _"They said there was a simulated explosion in T-95 correct?"_** he asked and Wesley nodded as he answered him. "Yeah why?" he asked and his tone turned stern. **_"That's the shrapnel left over from the explosion after Roga Danar was on board the ship, Wes. We may have cleared out the mess, but if there was left over pieces. And after two years it's possibly rusted by now, so watch where you step."_**

 ** _"Take that tunnel and head for your quarters, but that maybe a good alibi now to why you chose now to return to your quarters. Is your hand bleeding right now if you picked it up though?"_** he asked him and he answered him softly. "No I didn't stab myself if that's what you're asking here. Though there's the alibi right there, I can stage act and use this piece I'm holding as the one that gouged me in the leg."

"And the landing on top of another one slice my hand, but I definitely need a tetanus shot for this, with the fact that these are possibly rusted." he said as he took that route and entered it before getting back to his apartment then as he undid the latch and opened it, as he found he'd ended up in his mother's closet and bedroom then and nodded as he opened up the door and walked into his living room as he said it quietly.

"Lal, Audio level one only, what time is it in earth time right now in San Fransisco, because we're going to internal security?" he asked and Lal answered him softly at that. **_"The time is 1130 hours in the evening, Wesley."_** she said softly and he nodded to that. "When did my stealth test start tonight?" he asked and she explained that. **_"0730 hours earth time."_** She said and he nodded as he said it then to her gently, but softly.

"Lal listen to me, for now, I want you to go to binary language, one beep means yes, two beeps no, and you're controlling the systems I shut off one by one now. But the security was the first to go when the Nanites took control of the ship, pretend you're the Nanites for now and piece by piece start playing with the ship. So with that, turn off the weapons now, in twenty minutes start playing with the power, several brown outs."

"Toying with the Turbolifts, the security cascade fields and start locking people into wherever they are. From now and until Doctor Pulaski and whoever's with her gets here, your orders, on order of Captain Picard and Commander Riker. Are, until they're free of the conditioning, do not listen to anything they, Doctor Crusher, Commander La Forge, Counselor Troi, and Liuentant Worf say, and with them are Lieutenants Greyson."

"Bates, and Porter, as well as Miles O'Brien, but senior staff, added senior crew and security crew, until they're back to being themselves again do not listen to them, but me and your father. But added orders now, once your father releases the sections one by one are you're to take orders by Robin Lefler, Guinan, Chief O'Brien and the engineering crew. And finally Dr. Pulaski, as she was was a former crewman, prior to your activation."

"But again, start with the weapons, twenty minutes later go to power and twenty minutes after that turn off the outer communications link, out of the ship. Turn off all but transporter room 3 in transporter rooms. I've completed 3/4's of Danar's tactics, but I'm not done yet at the moment, she's not reading deep enough to realize this or that I made you self aware last year and with that in mind right now."

"I want you to trigger the alarm in one of their quarters, false trail, so I can create my survival kit. But first lock my quarters down, lock the door, sound proof security alarm around the room and shut off the burglar alarm into the room. Once I tell you too, I'm going to run a repeat regarding things when I created the tractor beam, okay." he said and he heard a gentle beep to that as the door flashed on his side of it.

 ** _"Wesley I read your your self diagnosis, you're not fully functional, what is wrong?"_** she asked and he explained that to her. "What you read in my self exam were the symptoms of sleep deprivation and caffeine withdrawal, Lal. Us humans if we don't get enough rest start suffering dangerous side effects. Withdrawal from stimulates and drugs, let alone ethanol and nicotine, it takes months to recover physically from them."

"As to that, I'm taking matters into my own hands and creating the recovery plan that Dr. Anenzi or Charlie's, Ensign Dayton's, father would prescribe for this. But in order to do so, I need you to keep them busy. And once I settle for the night, slow it down the search to a crawl. I need a chance at some real rest, as I drained a good portion of my energy." he said and he heard her tone shift worriedly at that as she answered him.

 ** _"I need an honest answer, how long have you been awake exactly, before you came home, your read outs say your heart rate is nearing the danger zone. Possible muscle deterioration?"_** she said and he sighed. "Close to four months, at this rate I'm in serious need of leave, with you just discovering this, wait till my mother is back to being herself again, before you tell her the truth at the moment."

"Etana Lol doesn't understand what she's seeing through their eyes, it won't be till they're free of her control, that they realize the clues point out to something. That us humans of earth have seen and dealt with for three centuries, in the medical department and their parental instincts are going to go crazy. Lal, as of now, you're to follow Lieutenant Greyson's orders, regarding decontaminating the hotspots after your father does it." he said as he finished that remark firmly but gently to her.

Looking at the two he brought into the room, he saw reddish brown all over it and nodded. "The shards I picked were rusted alright, I'm looking at, had I had tripped in there and landed on top of it, for real, a severe case of tetanus here. Alright my alibi now to why I came in here is not only a recharge now and creating my kits. I needed deal with my injuries, but first, step one now, Lal, listen to me carefully now here."

"Specific orders given to you are you're to protect me from them until they're themselves again, alright. From here, start pulling several distractions so you can keep them away from my quarters till I'm finished in here, I need one hour to get my supplie up and running, but deactivate the alarms on the replicator. Also if you read my read outs, you have the list of vitamins and minerals that I lost at the current moment and with that."

"I need you to replicate the medication bottles on each one when I tell you too, along with those are I'm going to first aid kits of the 20th to early 21st centuries. Medication all in pill form, cream form and basic first aid supplies to throw off the mastermind Etana Lol, she's your opponent now. So protect me from her and her drones till your father decontaminates the hotspots and tonight I'm spending the night in your quarters."

"Once I'm in there lock the room down and turn it into a fortress, basically, this is the same as the book focused on a teenage wizard and his friends. And when they went searching for the artifacts that contained their opponents soul. Every time they settled, they set up security on their location until they switched locations. But I'm leaving my indication to them letting them know I was there, okay." he said and she answered him.

" ** _Alright Wesley, I understand, but I'm acting as your big sister, I maybe in the computer. But I'm going to go avatar on the monitor from across the room so I can watch over you for the night. But the room is going into total lock down, and as they think father is still unconscious. They're not going to know where you are, but like before, when you activated me last year at the time."_**

 ** _"I'm acting like I did, when they were trying to take back control of the ship."_** she said and he nodded. "Yes that's what I want you to do, your father was hijacked in that scenario and they were themselves. But this time they're not themselves, but he is and he's controlling the entire computer system. So once I close down for the night, follow his orders, okay." he said and she gave a gentle beep, followed by two more.

"Lal, Sis, I want you to make it as hard as you can to slow them down, because once I close down, it's in your and your father's hands after that. Slow the search to a crawl, with 5,000+ places to hide, I could be anywhere. And it's only when the alarm goes off do they get an indication of where, alright." he said and he heard a second beep and the security activated on his apartment door then, as he saw the light on the camera go out.

Before the alarm went off and he heard an answering response at that. **_"Security alert, Lieutenant Bates check my quarters, this is either a real or fake. But we have to be sure, because it's obvious he's running on fumes and needs medical attention. If he was sounding that tired when you tried to catch him earlier."_** he heard from Will and smiled at that as he got to work then as he relaxed.

 ** _"Wait what the hell, Sir, tactical's down now, the weapons systems have gone off line here now!"_** he heard from another voice and he heard Will shout it out at that, as he heard him slam his hand on the table. ** _"Alright that's the first signal he's given us since it's gone quiet the last 90 minutes here at the moment right now. He's got power to the mainframe and has taken the weapons off line now."_**

 ** _"Alright if that's how you want to play it right now, than what's next exactly right now, young man, because you're on thin ice here. Several simulated overloads and a faked explosion this is going too far, so what else do you have in mind and where are you exactly."_** he said firmly and Wesley smiled at the annoyance in her tone through his mentor at that remark as he said it firmly to her.

"You had to ask, remember what we discussed last year, every time you start getting rhetorical, she starts getting smart with you. Lal, belay my last orders, begin the systems take over, start acting like the Nanites right now. Create a shadow image of the Borg on the tactical in three, two, one..., now." he said and in response he heard a shout. ** _"Sir, we have a Borg vessel incoming."_** he said to Picard quickly at that.

Before he heard Will shout it out. ** _"We don't have weapons, that must be a sensor malfunction, he's playing with us right now. But first weapons and the sensors are the next to go, he's playing with the power right now."_** he said and at that Wesley smiled as he said it. "Alright, Lal, initiate power brown outs and turbolift malfunctions now!" he said and in response the power started flickering in all the rooms.

As he heard several swift whooshes in answer to that as he heard a secondary shout. **_"What the devil is going on here... Janson get out of there or you're going to get locked in there!"_** he heard from O'Brien as he heard a quick shout out then. **_"What the heck's going on here exactly right now?"_** he heard a voice shout and he heard Will answer that, his tone clearly sounding irritated, but thoughtful as he answered him.

 ** _"Another memory we either forgot or blocked out, but all these things are connected to the time we were together when he was still training up here. He's a computer expert and skilled tactician, but whatever it was we told him last year. He's now pulling every single string to insure we have no way to find him right now at the moment."_** he said and Wesley smiled as he gave the last orders.

"Lal set up the tractor beam on the control room door, cascade field, shut of the radio transmitter for outgoing calls and radio transmissions and five minutes later deactivate the engines. Under medical security 555-2375-249875, the ship is declared a medical hotzone. But turn the cascade field to the stun setting on the door to the control room and put one on the fuse box, we're not going anywhere for a while."

"So until Dr. Pulaski arrives and deactivate all shuttlebays and transporter rooms. But from here activate the forcefield and lock them out of the room containing access to the isolinear chips, for control of the helm. And activate my tractor beam, gone cascade field and point it at the door in three, two one..., now." he said as he heard a beep and then a furious shout at that as he heard a new voice say in it in answer at that.

"Lal, activate the camera into the room, one way only, I need to see what's going on between the entrance of the reactor core, and forcefield on the fusebox in there and into the systems control in the engine room." Wesley said and the computer screen on the table turned on as he watched Lieutenant Commander Sarah MacDougal lose her temper as the forcefield activated then, blocking off the entrance into the control room.

As she said it to Will firmly and he could see the furious look on her face as she said it to him as she looked at the force field. **_"What the hell, Commander, there's a forcefield on the door leading into systems control."_ ** she said and he saw Will say it with a furious tone, before he could though Jenson walked to the door of the reactor core room and looked around the corner before turning to them as he said it to them firmly.

 ** _"That's not the only one, there's a force field covering the fuse box, no way to knock out the power on that force field we can't get it in there right now. Whatever this is he had it planned out to the second, but he must have been listening to our conversation regarding choices. And eliminated all three and went to the last and it's by distraction and division, Commander."_ **

**_"He's good, but we've got to get this under control."_** he said and they nodded. **_"Whatever these memories are that the computer is reacting to, I don't know, but_** **_the entire system is now out of our hands here."_** Will snapped before he saw Lieutenant James Shimoda move to the control room just as the forcefield started glowing pink. ** _"Don't try it!"_** he added to him firmly at that as he touched the wall of it.

And it threw him across the room into the wall as he landed on the floor hard at that. As he watched them move to Shimoda as he rubbed the back of his head. **_"You okay?"_** Robin asked and he nodded. _ **"Yes, but that's a clear warning, stay away from that door, it's acting like the medium stun setting on our phasers. That's not just any message now, thanks to that idiot, he's scared him into pulling this now."**_

 _ **"That's clearly a warning remark now here in what he's just pulled, if he's got one hooked up to the door on wherever he's hiding, he's telling us and the guards to back off.**_ ** _It's not just a warning, like the phasers, it's a message, and it's saying 'I don't want to hurt anyone, so just back off guys, please, I don't want to hurt anyone so just back off for now, regarding this."_**

 ** _"And keep MacGregor away from me, I maybe out numbered, but don't push me right now, I don't want to hurt anyone so don't force me into it.'. That's what he's trying to tell us. So with that in mind right now, it's we just figure out where he hid that chip that caused the computer to go nuts. Though that chip could be anywhere right now and the moment, even in the terminal in there."_**

 ** _"But to prevent anymore injuries, regarding being tested, just stay clear all of you."_** he said and they all nodded. ** _"Why is he afraid of MacGregor exactly, if he's pulling this kind of stunt?"_** she asked and he said it firmly. ** _"Possibly another trauma before he left and if it is, with us being controlled, to his way of thinking. He's not only afraid of him, he's afraid of her as well and with that."_**

 ** _"He's protecting himself from capture by turning wherever he is into a fortress."_** he said as Wesley heard a pop then in answer to that. **_"Now what's going on there in there."_** he added then and Wesley nodded as he said it. "Second camera into the control, what's going on in there." he said as he saw the camera across the panel as he saw the panel cover suddenly get knocked off of it and several clinks.

As the isolinear chips started shooting out of the panel as he heard him add on to that. _**"Oh great, Commander we've got a ghost or unseen person in the room removing the isolinear chips to control on the bridge, that panel connects the engines to helm control, so we're stuck here at the moment, Sir."** _ he said with a furious tone and he watched as Will nodded as he looked at him as he said it.

 ** _"Damn it, Shimoda, stay away from that thing, it's like an electric fence. Any idea what this is connected to right now Commander?"_ ** he asked and he heard MacDougal sigh as she answered him. ** _"No Sir, but whatever memory this is, there's more connected to it. But it's just like the pattern after Chief O'Brien got sent out of transporter room four at the moment, he's anticipating our maneuvers."_**

 ** _"And jumping over them, but whatever this is, that is making it this easy for him to do it is the reason for this at the moment and like that. The forcefield, the isolinear chips, that pattern in the manhunt right now, the Anbo staffs and everything else. It's all connected to memories we either forgot or blacked out since he left, but if we're seeing that, then the A.I. decided on something else."_**

 ** _"Though that maybe why the computer just acted like an invisible android, and whatever it is. And whatever he downloaded into the A.I. last year the computer decided to act like whatever caused the systems to start going down. And it punched the panel out of the way, before it started removing the control chips at the moment, because that access panel is conected to the engines."_**

 ** _"He's disabled the engines, keeping us grounded so we're not going anywhere right now at the moment. But if that panel is connected to it, than it's another memory of something else, said something else a memory we all forgot."_ ** she said and he smiled as he answered that remark. "No more like a memory they're not allowing you to see at the moment." he said as he listened to her explanation then.

 ** _"But what, I don't know, because he's following the pattern of some manhunt and whoever that pattern belongs to is connected to cargo bay 6. And the cargo transporter and everything else he's pulled so far. But why have a tractor beam pointed at the door, the panel right next to the door and that panel and the isolinear chips, but it's because that another memory we possibly forgot."_**

 ** _"And the computer is reacting to, but if he's knocked out the power to the helm, than he's knocked out the power to the transporter rooms and shuttlebays. Aside from the one he's leaving open, but turning the tractor beam in here into a cascade field and with it having the isolinear chips shot out of the panel. He's keeping us grounded here."_ ** she said and he knew he nodded as he said to Picard.

 ** _"Captain, whatever he ordered the computer to do this time, has resulted in the control chips connected to the helm to start shooting out of that panel in the systems control room. And it's thirty of the entire 75 chips that were in there, so we're dead in the water right now. We've lost all systems control now here, Sir, but whatever memory he chose has put up a tractor beam on the door."_**

 ** _"So we can't get passed it to get to the computer."_ ** he said and he heard Picard answer him firmly at that remark. **_"Can you short out the power?"_** he asked and he heard a sigh as she answered that. **_"No, there's a forcefield blocking access to the fuse box. Whatever memory this is, he's covered all the bases, there's no getting back control of the ship here, until whatever timer he set ends."_**

 _ **"We're stuck in the water till then, and even if we did try it, it's acting like a taser and Lieutenant Shimoda was knocked into the wall. So we're stuck, but that's just another warning, after MacGregor scared him enough into locking the entrance tubes, from his side of the door at the moment. And this response now, of activating a stun setting on the force field is clear a message."**_

 _ **"Said message, 'stay away from me, I'm not surrendering right now, and keep him away from me'. The damn idiot scared him enough he's scared of us now at the moment, and this is the warning, he doesn't want to hurt anyone. The ones who should have been involved in the search are Greyson, Bates, Porter. And Roberts, and the stupid idiot has just scared him into locking the shaft tunnels."**_

 _ **"After he tried to catch him before he got into the maintenance shafts, and fused the locks shut in there. To pull this stunt and he needs to time to calm down, before we get an indication of where he is right now. So we better just back off for now, if those force fields are acting like are our phasers on the stun setting."** _ she said and he heard a sigh as he heard Picard answer her then gently.

 ** _"Alright see if if there's way past whatever control there was, because if this happened before he left. We have to figure who's terminal it was and where the chip was placed. Let alone if there's any conceivable hole in the programming, so we just wait for some signal from him right now."_** he said and he smiled at the wording as he said it. "You want a signal, you're going to get it, but after I'm done here."

"With the fact she's not digging deep enough regarding your memories than you know what's coming next right now with the fact you three saw this before, Sir. Only this time you're in systems control with them right now at the moment here, Commander. So just wait and you'll both hear from me soon enough again." he said softly as he shifted his attention to Dayton as he thought it over, regarding their bond then as he said it.

"I wonder if, our connection is strong enough for us to have a mind to mind link now, because that maybe our only chance to work this out now." he thought out loud softly. "Charlie can you hear me buddy?" he asked softly and he got a very fast answering response. ** _'Wes, yeah I do, what's going on?'_** he asked and he quickly explained that. "I think our connection created a telepathic link between us at the moment."

"Charlie you're the son of rehab Doctor in substance abuse?" he asked softly and he heard a quickly reply to that. ** _'Yeah I am, what's wrong exactly?'_** he asked and he explained that to him. "I just got the test results back buddy, I'm suffering caffeine withdrawal and malnutrition. Your dad's an expert in this, what's the suggestion exactly, because mom's a basic M.D.?" he asked and he quickly answered him at that.

 ** _'What was the reason for the medical alert exactly, if they're trying to arrest you buddy?'_** he asked and he sighed. "I suffered several spasms in mom's office from the caffeine Charlie." he said and he knew he nodded as he answered him. ** _'When's the last time you ate something, and I mean something loaded with both, because that's the only way to stop those spasms till you get the real food you need, man.'_** he asked and he sighed knowing the other boy was going to be ticked.

"Thanks to that thing hitting engineering, I haven't eaten since lunch today, I'm running on fumes right now. I had another jolt in the Jeffries tubes and Data ordered me to take a break and create my kits." he told him and he heard a firm tone as he answered him. **_'Alright, before you do anything in there, lock the room down, from inside wherever you're hiding and just take a few minutes break and eat something.'_**

 ** _'Your blood sugar maybe dangerously high right now, but the effects of running up and down the ship is causing that to go counterproductive right now. And get some water into you, with both of us being the children of medical doctors it's back to the regime. And you have to get the gaps you lost in your vitamin/mineral supplement levels refilled, stat.'_** he said to him gently at that.

"I think we both know what you're going to say next buddy, but caffeine withdrawal and recovery, there's only two things could stop this and both are my one health food downfall right now." he said and he heard a chuckle as the other boy answered him. **_"That's makes two of us, my favorite pieces of junk food are candy bars and chocolate chip cookies, but you better lay off the soda pop starting now buddy."_**

 ** _"To fix this it's whatever you've been doing the last five days at the moment in recovery and with it, everything that you lost in vitamins and minerals, it needs to be fixed now."_** he said and Wesley nodded in agreement to that remark. "Alright time to go to a medical version of this, with you being a the son of a rehab Doctor, I'm going to whatever he'd suggest now regarding this in creating survival bag."

"But it's obvious now, if she's not understanding human health problems, I bet it's because she's thinking this is I'm on drugs or artificial stimulates. Rather than the natural ones, but once the programming on them is broken they're going to see what I'm telling them immediately. And to mom she's going to rip their heads off for not seeing this right now and so will the quintet at the moment but that's the problem."

"Charlie I just gained the added news right now, I know what's wrong with the sextet and everyone else. But the ones suffering the hardest in this are the sextet, Chief O'Brien, Greyson, Perkins, Porter, Davidson Bates and Watkins. If you met Guinan and seven to ten of the engineering crew team and the sextet's parents, by that I mean Doctor Bernard, but the quintet as well: Tarah, Katie, Alex and Rosie, Mason."

"And their parents, but here's the thing regarding this now and why the kids look at you like that. But they're the ones that watched me grow up all this time, but here's the problem now, as a crew, we became a team and family. And I'm the oldest of the kids that got taken by the Aldeans, and to their parents. But to the senior staff and the engineering crew, to them I was the model student officer up until and Robin arrived."

"They had three years to train me and in that three years we grew pretty close and with that. It's the act of the first born cub leaving the nest situation here and that's the problem right now in their case at the moment. In fact, the situation regarding Aldea, brought out the parent and their determination. To get us back in the case of the captain and commander at the time, it brought out the father in them, the entire senior crew."

"And the captain started getting used to being around kids ever since that point, along with it now is he prefers kids like us, intellect over athletics and with that in mind. With two of us here and with that exact same personality traits as well. They're seeing me when they watch you work in every spot I was doing. But same personality traits, same training strategies, the works right now, so though it helps they have someone like me."

"It's this is reason they're in this mess, they've been at half strength ever since I left, we have to do this together, to break her hold on them. But once done you have to reveal your part in this and we have to talk once it's over, I need to know something." he said and he heard a quick response to that remark. ** _'Well that's makes perfect sense now at the moment, no wonder they were ticked off last month at the time.'_**

 ** _'Yeah alright, if we do this, we do it together, but nobody, but you knows I'm the plant, and I'm doing the job so easily nobody even suspects me right now. But again you better get that recharge, or you're going to collapse, take a break than we get to work man.'_** he said and Wesley nodded to the orders as he checked the time on the clock and said it to himself then as he sighed as he said it to himself.

"It's 11:30 on earth, I haven't had anything to eat since lunch and it's 30 minutes till midnight. 12 hours without food and water, alright time to fix that now, I need to recharge now. So first a snack, and I'm sitting in the floor while working on my kits right now while doing this. And with it getting every vitamin and mineral I lost back into my body, but before a general stimulate, eat something loaded with sugar and drink water."

"I don't suffer migraine headaches or any serious health problems. Or didn't till the last four, nearly five months, since I joined the squadron at the time, alright. Alright, Lal reset the clock for 15:30:00 countdown and ten firewalls in the way your father had done it last year. And not until 0330 hours in the afternoon do you lift the firewalls, or make them them think they did it themselves now here at the moment."

"With the security patrols looking for me they're not going to notice if Dr. Pulaski's shuttle arrives. But turn off security alarms in the shuttle bays, it's going to full audio/visual failure over the radio. Also starting now the thermal heat sensors are terminated till phase three starts. So as of this moment we're in phase two and I'm taking a break to refresh myself now." He said to the computer gently as he finished.

"Lal activate camera activity to the left am camera in both the engine room and the Bridge. And deactivate a two way connection in visual contact, so I can see them, but they can't see past me to where I'm hiding right now." he said to it and heard a beep at that as he saw them working then at trying to break through his firewalls into the computer to get back control then as he got ready to say it then.

"Alright Lal, I need a two layer visual aid on my own computer terminal, transfer images from my mother's terminal to mine. Deactivate the security on her medical logs regarding medical general stimulate cocktails so I can regulate the correct dosing safely." he said and he heard a beep followed by a secondary beep from his computer terminal at that. "Outside security of my apartment, who's guarding it right now."

"Because they're the ones who are getting the message with what I'm about to do next if Porter tried to arrest me before I escaped through the tunnel shaft." he said and he saw the duo he just named off then as he said it smiling "Alright activate the clock in thirty minutes once I get what I need and to create two bags in here." he said and he heard a gentle beep as he went to his closet and opened it then as he dug through it.

"Alright two first aid kits, multiple doses of of every vitamin I lost in this and every meal combination of the foods that have it for each bag. I've only got two health food downfalls and they're chocolate and cookies, but when I'm eating it's mostly cold cut sandwiches and salads with plenty of fruits and veggies with them on the side. Yes, alright breakfast food was freshly cooked muffins or a mixture of eggs, cheese."

"And breakfast meat in the bowl, with my favorite fruits in a fruit salad and a glass of orange juice with it. I'm not doing waffles and pancakes, let alone cereal, I need a true meal to get enough energy to do this and then take my vitamins with it. Alright tonight it's whatever meal combination the machine chose in it for me and a full bottle of water." he said and nodded as he went to the replicator then as he said it quietly.

"Medical field recovery for caffeine withdrawal and recovery, I need to fix my nutritional gaps and that means no more soda pop or coffee. I can have non caffeinated drinks only, fruit juice, lemonade, excetra, but the one I need most is water. Get the caffeine out of my body, if this was that horror movie series. I'm looking like the kids after they arrive at the hospital, it's been close to a week in recovery and the nightmares stopped."

"And all at once now, alright I've got to deal with the rest of this, but special diet, cardiovascular exercise and getting as much rest as possible now. For the occasional jolt just one candy bar or chocolate chip cookie. But I have to get my nutritional gaps fixed, damn it, I knew this was going to happen if I left, why did I leave. I bend my regime once and it puts me in sickbay regarding Jaan, I do it again and it causes this."

"Yeah, alright that's enough of this, I'm never breaking my regime again, strict diet and plenty of rest. But I'm never bending that regime ever again after I return to the academy later. Screw it Nick, I've had enough of this crap, I'm staying home for a while, but if there's a reason you separated me from Charlie, you're a dead man and I mean that now." he said with a firm growl then as he got to work then as he said it.

"Lal replicate two medication pill boxes and each one has a month's worth of doses on it." he said and two appeared on the panel. Removing them, he gave the next set of orders. "Lal replicate two months and one night worth, that's three times of day, in vitamins of the following: A, B, C, D, K, potassium, Chronium and magnesium. Iron, E." he said and a minute later each pill bottle appeared at that.

And he got to work on adding each of the vitamins to each daily slot, but kept that night's dose in his pocket then as he went to replicating the rest of it. "Lal deactivate the security on my mother's computer, I need to see what the first aid kits from 300 years ago had in them. To create them to that level." he said and it beeped as he dug up the information needed and wrote it down then as he said it to the replicator.

"Alright I need the pills of the following, but painkillers, anti-inflammatories, antihistamines and iron pills for anemia. Total of 100 pills, each, per bottle in each one, that's vitamins, and the medicines listed before that, antibacterial cream, and cream for severe burns. And enough of each item to make two first aid kits." he said and each item appeared as he gave the final set of orders then as he said it.

"Alright Lal replicate twenty bottles of water in self cooling bottles, self-refrigerated, each bottle 20oz each." he said and finished it with the next order. "And meal combinations of Ensign Crusher's favorite foods in health foods, if they're cooked, in reheatable tins, and if not, packages are self cooling in staying cold. I want the mixture of these meals exact, but carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals for a balanced diet."

"And a small batch of sugar on the side for dessert on the side, just to give me a faint boost afterwards. For the meals that are lunch and dinner, in eight days worth, each meal, from morning till night." he said and finished firmly then as he said it. "In nine days of each meal. But just under three weeks worth of each meal, for two bags worth on every combination that has these exact requirements, in each of them."

"And enough for two bags worth of supplies." he said and it beeped in answer to that as he got to work. Getting each of the pill bottles he set them on the floor and read the amount on each oth one and nodded as he set the pills into three piles for each time frame then. "Medical logs for old fashioned first aid when in training, I need the exact contents to create one when undercover and behind enemy lines."

"Not counting pills, but everything else, that's not included in going camping in the wilderness, but for when you're suffering a severe injury and need to take care of yourself." he said and it beeped as the contents from the stim pak first aid kits of the 20th century appeared and he read through it and nodded. "Don't have gauze or adhesive medical tape, improvise here." he thought gently as he got to work.

As he grabbed five sheets and started tearing strips out of them to make home made bandages and set the first set to one side and then a second on the other. As he dug into his closet and grabbed two boxes the size of a small toolbox as he loaded each item into it and then set the makeshift bandages on top of them, before going to his mother's cabinet and grabbing each of the vitamins, the epinephrine and the painkillers.

And the fever reducers his mother used on him when he was suffering from the flu or a cold as he read the instructions and took each one and put it on the table. As he grabbed 25 syringes and put each one on the desk. "Okay two different types now, one with the combination that Data gave me in the lab. And the other the basic one in general stimulate and that's the one I need after I get a recharge now."

"Lal set the clock for 15:30:00, that's from now until all the major hotspots are clear, because stage four of this. Is when I'm stage acting and by that point every hotspot is clear, and we're downloading the cure into the computer and throw it forward to every computer tablet and viewscreen. The information panels all over the ship, but from now to 1530 hours tomorrow, okay." he said and he heard a beep at that as he got to work.

"Start the clock in three, two, one..., now." he said and he heard a beep. And it was immediately followed by an annoyed shout at that as he heard Geordi call out at that, his tone beyond irritated at that as he said it. **_"What, oh come on, are you kidding me, Wesley. Captain, he's reset the clock."_** he said and he heard a quick call out from Will at that as he said it, for Picard, to him. **_"What's the time set for exactly, La Forge?"_** he asked and he heard an annoyed tone as he said it to him.

 ** _"It's set for 15:30:00 Commander, looks like this sudden need for changing the time on the clock is so he can get a recharge right now. He's stopped somewhere, possibly one of the crew quarters. And one connected to the entry tube tunnel system and he's getting a recharge and time to rest before this starts a second time. At the moment, it's I'm looking at another shift change here, it's gone quiet for the last hour and suddenly we get a single signal."_**

 ** _"By him stripping us of the key systems, but weapons, power and communications are gone. But the computer tore the panel off the control systems and threw 30 of the isolinear chips out of the panel. So we're dead in the water right now, and the systems are acting like there's a virus in the mainframe at the moment, and the alarm went off in the commander's room."_**

 ** _"But it's been quiet for the last hour, and it means he's stopped somewhere to either take a break or grab something to eat and then give himself the next dose, Sirs, Doctor."_** he said and he watched as Charlie looked at them at that **.** ** _"Well how could he, we've got every hall and corridor blocked off and he can't come out into the open without getting arrested."_** he asked and they sighed at that.

 ** _"I'm not entirely sure right now, but if this turns into a case of playing with the computer further and it's going way too far right now. It's been four hours since the order came through and it's turned into a case of bumper tag and a scavenger hunt right now. But if it's gone completely quiet since the decoy in T-95, than he's settled himself somewhere and is trying to rest right now."_**

 ** _"But he's going to let us know, in some way, where he is and it's just waiting for some sort of signal from him right now till we get it. Though if he's still staying away from the public areas it means he's gone to some sort of back up plan to get a recharge."_** Beverly said to him and he nodded as he turned around and closed his eyes then and he knew he was getting more worried by the minute then.

Before he could say it though, he heard his new friend say it to him mentally. ** _'Wes where are you exactly, it's been going on so long, that they're getting desperate right now to find you. But it's clear that whatever deprogramming plans you made the connection is slowly weakening right now at the moment. In fact your mother's Doctor insincts have gone crazy.'_** he asked and he explained that to him.

"I'm in my quarters man, but you're seeing me on the main viewer in a thirty minutes right now. But first I've got to get some work done in here, before the indicator alarm goes off, so just stand by." he said in answer to that as he finished then. Looked at the amount of supplies he created, and he smiled then as he loaded up the first bag. And then left one of the spare MRE packets he created as a decoy lying on the couch.

With the bag open and the supplies he created in the bag with the second first aid kit lying on the floor next to it while leaving the closet a mess and everything that was in the bag scattered around his room. To show what he was doing then as he grabbed 60 candy bars in both of his favorite flavors and put them in the first bag as well. As he grabbed another and settled at the desk as he grabbed a cup of ice water then.

And dug up ten more and put them in a small sack and put it into the bag as we'll, before taking a break finally as he tore the wrapper open he dug into and felt his energy levels slowly reactivating then as he drank some water and relaxed then as he settled on the couch then as he relaxed. After finishing the candy bar and getting a secondary cupful of water he grabbed the last syring and injected it into his arm.

As he sighed in relief at the sudden boost of energy shooting through him then as he finished then as he smiled. "That should do it, I have everything I need right now for this, well it's been a few hours now. I'm going to give them a surprise, now that they're trying to figure it out right now. But I've got to create four more, yeah alright, but only take what you can carry now and come back for the rest later on."

"Tonight it's just stopping off in Data's quarter's and eating dinner and sleeping for eight hours. But first a little message, after I get to work as I get to work on my next step and set up the subterfuge next regarding injuries. Following that is a little magic act and then start annoying her with playing around with the alarms and then spend five hours going from apartment to apartment as I set up the other five kits next."

"Hey Data, you think I should tell her where she screwed up with this right now, because the A/V mode is turned off in my room and I've got a soundproof forcefield on the door to my apartment." he said and he heard an amused tone in his voice as he answered him. **_"You may as well Wesley, just to make it more interesting after you caused that collision in the hallway earlier, but time to up the stakes right now."_**

 ** _"Aside from that, if Pulaski is arriving by morning it's by managing to keep them focused on you right now at the moment. But you better up the act now, in acting in the way she thinks you are by getting reckless in your training. Time to initiate psyche outs in trying to get her to lose control of her fear of you now, with you in control."_** he said to him and Wesley nodded to the orders.

As he smiled as he answered him. "Yeah good idea, she thinks I'm getting ready to take her head on, but no I'm not doing that, well if she wants to play mind games right now, I'm willing to play along now. Only now it's going to stage acting at the moment and it's acting as though I'm suffering a severe case of paranoia at the moment. Though at this rate it's acting like the mind meld had hit me all at once now at the moment."

"Lal, deactivate A/V in the Crushers quarters, so they just see me in front of the window right now, but nothing else surrounding me. and deactivate security on my mother's computer terminal in the apartment now. And activate a soundproof forcefield on the door. So they don't realize where I'm hiding till the alarm goes on in the room and get ready for stage three after that." he said as he watched the terminal glow.

As he pulled his tricorder out and activated the frequency then as he said it. "Lal, go to radio in two way transmission both in the engine room and on the bridge, as well as wherever the sextet are. Because I'm telling them where they've messed up in training, with being skilled officers, And the acts of being upstaged by a teenager for real now." he said as he heard a beep then and smiled as he got ready to say it then.

 **The Engine Room And the Bridge:**

Trying to crack the firewalls, Picard heard Will say it sharply. **_"I don't believe this, whatever memory he chose in this. Is something the computer's reacting to, but weapons, power, communications. We're being stripped one system at a time right now. At the rate this is going it's environmental controls that are next on the list and that's in here at the moment and with his sequence."_**

 ** _"He's rejected coming in here, because he know he's going to get arrested if he tries that. But if he's using the maintenance shafts and entry tube tunnel systems. Than it's going to be next to impossible to figure out where he is. And before he tries anything else to keep us grounded where we are at the moment."_** He said and Picard nodded as he answered him at that gently.

"Any luck with trying to break the firewalls right now in there, Commander?" Picard asked and he heard a sigh then. ** _"None Sir, he's got them locked up so tight I can't find any hole to pick the lock, and it's going on midnight."_** Will told him and he nodded. "Alright young man that's enough of this right now, it's time to take a break." he said softly under his breath and to their shock they heard an answering response to that.

 ** _"If you're repeating your last remarks in that order than you ought to remember when it was the last time you said it now, Commander. As to why, because this was a memory from four months prior to the catalysts of which you, Lieutenant Worf, Lieutenant Greyson and Ensign Perkins dealt with the catalyst for how I escaped so easily tonight right now at the moment."_**

 ** _"A memory you all forgot, but my pattern is based off that manhunt, if it takes multiple reminders till morning and several other stunts than its going to take. Actually another very close call could come in handy, but then it's getting passed the guards so easily. But everyone of those, including the exploding phaser was part of that manhunt at the time, how many more will it take."_**

 ** _"For you to remember Sirs, to realize you're acting like you did when it came to him, every maneuver, I know them all. But you trained me so well it's using that against you and it's working right now as well. But don't bother trying to take this signal, or tapping into my mind right now, my shields are locked up tight. And the security where I'm hiding has been switched from your control."_**

 ** _"And straight to mine, but if you forgot the earlier internal computer pest problems. Than that's a clear flaw in the programming, and it means she's not digging up memories further back than before I left. Case in point said situation like when I took control of the entire ship after we deployed. If she's not seeing the added catch to this, than you blocked out the real connection to it."_**

 ** _"So, if you're still trying to look for me, you better take a break now, because of thirty straight tries you've only been failing in your training right now, Sirs."_** They heard in answer to that and they all froze up, as they looked around at that. **_"What's wrong, shocked I decided to choose now to talk to you when I'm safely undercover at the moment right now everyone, huh, well I'm not surprised."_**

 ** _"Because though I'm doing it now, you have no idea where this transmission is coming from right now and with it, who's apartment, if they're a single officer here and with that in mind right now. Well it's because I can see the shock on your faces at that choice and with it, possibly the same regarding the guards too, if they're listening to this broadcast right now at the moment."_**

 ** _"If every adult on the ship is looking for me, than you're hearing this as well at the moment. Right now and with those words in mind, as Starfleet officers we have to insure the internal security of the federation, but in order to do that. It's by being able to be three steps ahead of whoever the opposition is and now it just got revealed that there's another hostile out there at the moment."_**

 ** _"You have 500 officers who are single, and don't have families and all of you are looking for me right now and with that in mind. Did you forget something, if you want to catch me, before I decided to comm you now, you could have by remaining in your quarters right now. But no, instead you just left yourself to being humiliated by a earthborn human teenager and with it now."_**

 ** _"It's this could be considered strike three for the planet that is supposedly neutral, if they chose now to attack in a situation we'd consider the puppet master master notion."_** he said and they all exchanged looks at that. ** _"What's the puppet master notion, it's considered an act of mind control and turning your victims into drones and the lone teenage officer to figure it out."_**

 ** _"Now becomes the target, before the puppet master attacks the leadership of the entire federation. Yes, that's right, I know exactly what's going on here. And if you, or rather your programmer never wanted to be figured out, and you never wanting to give yourself away at the moment. And if you wanted to keep your target from realizing you were truly all under mind control."_**

 ** _"Then you should have ordered the computer to disable the A/V link up on the bridge. After you came to check the targets quarters with the said weapon in hand. And do more than check to see if your target was faking it or not, like try and get into conversation, with them. And whoever they were with to make sure that they were actually genuine and not faking it to get passed detection."_**

 ** _"As it is, you flunked that part of the test by not checking."_** they heard him say firmly as Beverly exchanged looks with Deanna and Worf did the same with Will at the remark as they heard him go further at that remark. ** _"Whoever you are lady, if you were a skilled tactician you'd have seen through this and double checked at the time, and not left the evidence sitting behind your lead drone at the time."_**

 ** _"If you were smart, you'd have thought out your plan a bit better at the time, regarding trying to take your primary target, if you had one, by surprise. When you realized that the target, or targets, had busted you then, looking at this from an act of 20/20 hind sight now, had you been smart here. You'd have left things unsaid and tried to think through a way to catch your target off guard."_**

 ** _"In actual truth your drone's own training is and was a bit rusty if you forgot a few clear things. Your drones forgot a few things these last eleven months since I left for the academy, and with it, if you studied human ways, and read through the pain and depression. In the minds and heart of the people you took control of you'd have been able to create a flaw proofed plan here."_**

 ** _"But when I started my training, I was trained in the act of conspiracies here, such as it is we had one pop up in the same way that an author. And director on our home planet created in the mid 20th century, the movie was called Body Snatchers, another title for it was invasion of the pod people. Where alien's tried to replace originals, but only the smartest people in town could spot it."_**

 ** _"Which as it turns out is what you just turned this into, I know those people you possessed, better than they know themselves and with that. In the rules of a conspiracy at the time, said rules totaling ten of the most important right now. To get away with a conspiracy, if you met some annoying Lieutanant commander in the past and your mentor is getting beyond frustrated at it."_**

 ** _"But rule 1: in your case, never leave the fact you're compromised lying out in the open where your target can see it. 2: never show fear when said target is watching you like a hawk, because they'll be able to see the inner thoughts of the programmer in your eyes. 3: you want to get passed scrutiny by your target, than never call your target by their student name when, as yourselves."_**

 ** _"You're calling them by name, if they're your favorite students."_** he said and Picard froze up at that information. 'Oh good lord I didn't think he'd be able to pick up on it that easily. Or realize that I was compromised, so by my own reactions, I just gave myself away now.' he thought before he heard the answering response to that thought. ** _"Yes that's right Sir, you just gave yourself away tonight as a result."_**

 ** _"And from there it connects to the rest of you but, rule 4: if you've been working together for so long the actions are practically programmed into your actions. Change those actions immediately. Like say working as a sextet and added friends for four years straight and the added pieces of your jobs are being done, even though you're compromised right now at the moment."_**

 ** _"But when not in the engine room you're on the bridge working at the engineering console, Commander. If there's a need for medical reports and doing it over the radio doesn't work, reporting to the bridge to deliver it in person, mother, and never leaving the captain's side. And acting as the omega of the bridge crew counselor, as you're always at the captain's side."_**

 ** _"And when on duty, if you're not on the bridge you are dealing with internal security and are always together in a duo, Commander, Lieutenant. When not in the engine room you're working in transporter room 4, Chief. To avoid scrutiny and if you wanted to work this better tonight, never fall immediately back on your original positions, especially if they're hardwired into your actions."_**

 ** _"After four years, 5: you want to get away with the fact that you're the reason the only android on the ship has been deactivated. Than never leave a clear indication you're the reason for it. Because of eight people on board the ship there are only two who know enough about him to try this and since he got deactivated, before it hit the entire ship and you, commander, were clean."_**

 ** _"As it is, there's only seven people who know enough about Data to do this, but two who spend enough time around him to try it. And the third has done his psyche evaluation like ten months prior after an accidental hijacking. And of those people, only one who uses an android version of medical drill to deal with neural surgery and with that, tried to mask the work they did."_** they heard and Beverly exchanged looks with Deanna at that in shock then as he went further.

 ** _"Yeah that's right mother, you really think I wouldn't figure it out, while Commander La Forge had the skill to check internal diagnostics on him. You had the skill to be running surgical alterations on the human members of the crew. Like the time the commander got stuck behind enemy lines when he was nearly killed on Bajora last year. As if that's not enough right now at the moment."_**

 ** _"If you were really smart you'd have left the damage slightly messy, but no as a Doctor your job is to do no harm. But that damage wasn't from a normal surgical implement. It's from a droid version of a scalpel and if this was payback for what happened to Willie last year, it's still enough. That this can be considered attempted murder now at the moment here, in her case."_**

 ** _"But I'd call this as a case of the alter ego syndrome as Data's alter ego hijacked the ship and in retaliation for nearly killing a child. When it wasn't his fault, yours, all three of you, decided to exact revenge on him for that. By disabling him in a such a way only a computer genius could fix him at the time. But people don't bother trying to pretend you are yourselves right now."_**

 ** _"And I'm delirious, because I over heard your conversation with the person driving you right now. 'The enterprise is secured.', is it, is it really right now, everyone and as for common sense. Because only a technical genius, a medical prodigy could find those sabotaging measures. And in his cerebral cortex connecting from his head to his spinal cord and only a doctor could do it."_**

" ** _Because those cuts are so clean, so precise that only a doctor could do it, as you're the only one who knows enough about Data to do something like this. And with there being only two doctors on board this ship, and I saw you playing the game the night I was on my date with my new girlfriend, mother. Than you're the culprit for how he got deactivated in the first place."_**

 ** _"And as I said, if you had an alter ego, she's decided to exact revenge on him for nearly killing your patient earlier last year. While the rest of you were ticked that he took control of the computer, because it was in reverse back then. Well this time all humans and humanoid are locked out of the system, but me. And with that, that moves it on to the next rule everyone so with that."_**

 ** _"6: You want to get a conspiracy going, then never leave a clear trail with the infected host it started with and a pattern when doing it. But it started with you, commander when you got back, hit you Counselor Troi, than you mother. Following that is after Data gets deactivated the pattern hits the engine room and as that leaves one other person to start it off, Commander La Forge."_**

 ** _"You're the one who infected the entire engine crew, while I saw Allysa with it on and that leaves you mother as that infects the entire medical and science department. While you, Lieutenant, infect the entire security team detail, and that just leaves the command crew and that leaves you, commander. And till it hits you captain, but with that in mind it leads to another for junior targets."_**

 ** _"But if the leader of the base, or ship, is now infected and compromised, than no one over the age of seventeen can be trusted. But you made a clear flaw in this as the ones that aren't infected are the ones that aren't here. But the pattern was a clear indication for the first three members of the senior staff crew. Following that is Data gets deactivated and then it started bouncing."_**

 ** _"From person to person, and one by one the rest of the senior staff and crew gets infected with it till only two young adults are left unaffected. And with it is the fact that if you studied your own targets and remembered certain details. You'd have changed strategies immediately before they became aware of your behavior and started investigating the situation as a result of it."_**

 ** _"7: if you want to prevent your targets from realizing this is a conspiracy than act on your normal behavior. Because all of you broke that rule as well, as I was in sickbay running a medical diagnostic scan on myself when you, Ensign, were playing the game. And if you were paying closer attention, you'd have realized this as I was actually trying to get some medical information clarified."_**

 ** _"And after I left the exam room, immediately checked the reports and turned it over to my mother and this wouldn't be turning into a medical alert. Because you'd know the reason I was looking like this, before this manhunt even started."_** he said and, hearing that, the ensign in question hit the medical logs and read through it and felt his heart fall to the floor, knowing she was going to kill him for that.

 ** _"8: you want to get to your two targets never be so insistant when the situation is having everyone looking like they're on drugs, or drunk as well. Or try multiple times in insisting they try it, because that just makes the maneuver more desperate to round up every unaffected. 9: you want to prevent your targets from learning who your programmer and the mastermind behind it, is."_**

 ** _"Deactivate any and all radio transmissions leading off the the bridge and finally and most important. 10: never leave the radio going when you're looking for your target. Or your target is going to hear every move in your attempts to catch them. So all of this added together, you, and your programmers, screwed up big time in combat and training and getting past me undetected now."_**

 ** _"Because of two young adults on board this ship, only one of us was training in on the job training from day one and with it. Knew every rule of a conspiracy to get by undetected. But this may seem strange to your programmer as I chose now to answer your remark. Well it's part of another portion of our history at the moment, 400 years ago, if you had a criminal mastermind."_**

 ** _"Who'd taken an entire building, or vehicle hostage. But no, I'm not doing that, if she dug further into your memories earlier this week. Than you should be realizing what you're acting like, before the mind control kicked in. And with it combining two scenarios together, both in years one. And immediately try to prevent that getting figured out because in this case now at the moment."_**

 ** _"That last conspiracy was a puppet master notion and the one before that, that had every adult over the age of eighteen acting like they wre on recreational drugs. And that exact same stunt also resulted in an on the radio call directly to you, from the control room. If you remembered any of this, than you, and she, would know I was completely capable of taking control of this ship."_**

 ** _"And by remote as well at the time too, Sirs. But slightly compromised I can come up with to five good ideas in one hour, but when as myself, you better get out of my way, because by that point. It would take four to five days to beat me and by that point the added help is here and this ends before it gets off the ship."_** he said and they heard and the entire group covered their eyes at that.


	6. 6: Conversations And Distractions

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs tome and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Warnings: For this chapter, He's going to be working on the first of his supplies as he tells them where they screwed up in their training. While acting like the teenage scientist and dealing with his own recovery then. As this shifts courses in his training now as he pushes it further.**

 **And starting his decoy attempts, though the remarks in the first story of this mention a rival and we get a clue to that rival in the conversation between his team mate the other person, before Wesley leaves the room. But from here the story is making a reference or two to several books from our time line now.**

 **Though they never indicated it on the episode, it was clear that the chase from the engine room lasted longer than an hour which is why Riker was so irritated at the time on the episode. But from here it's making sure he's got a chance to rest and eat, but there's a reference or two to Doom in this now. With him recovering now now from this.**

 **But from here the story is going to be dealing with the added side effects of his time away from his mother when in training now as they try to find him and it's clear to them how serious his condition is as this gets started now. As that starts overwhelming the conditioning of the game, before Data deactivates the program later on now**

 **Chapter 6: Radio Messages and Rest**

 **The Bridge And Engine Room- Nobody's POV:**

 ** _"Rule 11) if you want your secret conspiracy to make it off the ship, maybe you should look at the fact that your target has been trained in every situation such as this, before trying to tag team them. Let alone disable the site to site transporter room systems to prevent your target from escaping. And along with that at the moment, memorize the layout of the ship of the target."_**

 ** _"And said ship you're trying to take control of, I memorized the layout so well that there's no getting captured till I come out into the open. What's the catch, you don't understand anything about human born children. Or you never bothered to read the minds of the people you're possessing to understand that, everything you saw so far was part of earthborn games and books."_**

 ** _"If you bothered to read our minds further you'd be able to anticipate what I'm doing and try to head it off, but no, you didn't. And that brings it to rule 12) this message was a message by a very well known strategist on our planet. But 'know your enemy and know yourself, and you will win 100"battles without disaster', if you're reading me through their minds, there's a few gaps in that."_**

 ** _"Because just one year separation, and emotional damage, can sometimes effects what you know of the person you're trying to catch. And the people you're possessing are suffering from a very common place syndrome on our home planet that happens when the first born child leaves the nest. And the parents start going into depression as a result of that at the moment."_**

 ** _"To answer the unasked question, said nest happens to be the home, or in this case, the ship you lived most of your life on. To explain that to you Lol, as humans, earthlings, our lives, as parents, adults, are devoted to our families, our children. Sometimes when the friends of said parents grow to close to the child of that parent they started seeing that child as their own now."_**

 **"As they watch them grow up, the pride in their abilities and skills, if they turned into exactly what you wanted, starts growing. Because they're relieved they grew into what you hoped, but with that pride is a sense of sadness, knowing that the time is coming when they have to let the child go, and they have to leave home."** Wesley said and watching the expression on the quartet's faces.

 ** _"I guess you never studied the earth human mental/emotional physique, did you, regarding why life is so hard for us humans on earth. And why to an adult it's harder to let go of our offspring. Let alone our baby brothers and sisters, but us earth humans are a curious race to most aliens. With most alien's it's though they take pride in their children, they try to keep it under control."_**

 ** _"For us humans of earth, that's not an option, now, because for us, we don't have as long a life span as you do, so we cherish every moment of our lives and our family's, our children's, as possible. If you saw photos of us crew members together, and me being in several it's because of that now. Why, well it's because of human feelings, feeling of pride, of concern, of happiness, of sad."_**

 ** _"And the act that no matter how old we get, to each generation in the human physiology, from ages teenager to elderly. To the generation before us, be it middle age adult, that stage is 30 years old to 50, to us young adults and children under seventeen, that's our parents age group. Or to the elderly humans, that's our grandparents, in the case of our parents themselves."_**

 ** _"We're still considered their babies, no matter how old we get, but to our parents, we're their Cubs, their children, it doesn't matter we're teenagers or young adults. That's my age as I am right now, a young adult, to our parents we're still their children and they love us. To that point that letting go is hardest on them and seeing us move away from them to another town."_**

 ** _"It's hardest on them now, because they had us with them all our lives and they know that though they want us to stay, we have to leave home now. Leave the nest and begin our own lives. Which as a crew is much the same thing, the ship is a flying colony, and once deployed, our parents have us in school. And we go about our daily lives, but with it is this fact now at the moment."_**

 ** _"For the kids younger than me, their parents have them with them, though in school during the day after their shift ends. They got a normal family life when off duty, leading into when we reach young adulthood. Our parents can be content with the fact that they have time till the time comes when we finish off school in our ship schooling system at the moment now."_**

 ** _"Which to our parents is a depressing thought now, let alone for us students that have been allowed to work on the ship. And with the people connected to our parents, those people are to us, if they take us under their wing and start teaching us. Our mentors, to them, they watched us grow into our potential and they're more than proud of our training and with that in mind."_**

 ** _"When you spend every day together in training, the adults connected to you start growing more attached. And vice versa, leading into when they have to let us go, which, to them, is very depressing thought now, because at this stage. If we started at certain age, say early to mid teens when they met us and decided to train us, this is the hard part now."_** he said and watched Picard carefully at that.

As Dayton saw the question the programmer was thinking then in his eyes. **_'I don't understand, why would that be hitting the parents, or anyone connected to the parents, that hard?'_** he saw in their eyes and then he heard the answering response given to that over the radio. ** _"That stage in human life, if we started at this age and began our training, and in theirs, if they decided to take custody."_**

 ** _"If the child in question chose to stay put on the ship, after their parent, or parents, were transferred. That's the hard part now and as to why that is, they spent a year taking care of and raising us themselves now, and in one year things can change._** **_Why, well at a certain age, we, as earthborn humans, finish school that is meant to prepare you for life, we call it high school."_**

 ** _"On earth and to explain that, us humans go through school our entire lives, till we're adults. And our minds are fully matured now, but we begin at a certain age, once we're old enough to begin. From newborn to four years old, we're being taught a few things, stuff that's necessary to get us into the next stage of schooling, this stage is the step leading into our academic lives now."_**

 ** _"But our lives as students begin from age four to when we reach 17 or 18 and that's our last year's as normal children in life before we have to leave home to begin our own lives. Our lives as students go from basic, to intermediate to advanced, each stage is given a name as well. High school is the advanced courses, preparing us for our careers so we can choose our majors."_**

 ** _"But once the year is over we get a few months to relax and then start school again. But years from age 6-11 is called elementary school, where we learn the basics in life. Ages 12-14 are called junior high, and we start learning things to prepare us for when we're getting ready to leave our parents and ages 15-18 are high school and at that age we can take care of ourselves now."_**

 ** _"Everything needed that we need to learn is at this stage, and it's needed so we can choose which way we want to go, either get into the federation. And join Starfleet to be in the military, or begin living life normally and we go into business for ourselves. After each school year is done with, we get several weeks off and then after several months of down time after the year ends."_**

 ** _"On earth we call it summer vacation, we enter the next stage in life, as we gain the money needed to get into that next stage and then just as the next season starts. We leave home to start our own lives, getting into school for adults, or training in the military and we start our lives, if you got a good look at me through their eyes, I was at the age meant to start that next stage."_**

 ** _"The people you took control of met me when I was at that last stage, for four years they watched me when in my element. To them, it was they were proud of my abilities, and were taking pride in my accomplishments. But at the same time they knew it was going to be hard to let me go now. But that's the way it is for us earthborn human on earth, both age groups as well."_**

 ** _"For us it's exhilarating, but at the same time it's scaring us, because we've had our parents around for emotional support, we had them around for our accomplishments and everything else. But for our parents letting us go is the hardest thing in the world to do. To them, because we had to depend on them for everything from the time we were born to when we reached a certain age."_**

 ** _"And reached puberty, which is from twelve to seventeen years of age, at that age, on earth. It means that for our parents, the time is fast approaching when we have to leave them to start our own lives. To our siblings it means they don't have us to protect them and give them support, but for the ones that are only children, that's when it gets worse, because it makes it even harder."_**

 ** _"On earth we call it the first born cub syndrome, and sometimes when the people connected to the parent that child belongs to. Get too attached to their child, they feel the same way the parent does regarding their child, after spending several years watching them grow up. And they don't want to let go, and as time passes and the time comes closer, they start getting depressed."_**

 ** _"Which is the side effect of the mentor/student bond and when said mentors become the very thing that the student needs. Especially when it comes to the father/son relationship, when said student grew up without a paternal figure, they take their place. And as a result they become everything that the said student needs, if said student is a boy and with those words in mind right now."_**

 ** _"You don't understand our ways, because you never leave your planet and go to earth. And with the fact you're not part of the federation though you allow us to come there, it's counterproductive. So you never come to earth and that's another fatal mistake, you don't understand what it is that I'm doing, because you've never studied earthborn ways."_** they heard and sighed at that remark.

Seeing the looks on the duo in the room with him, he knew that the words were getting to them. **_'That's how it is for earthlings, these children are their very life and once they reach puberty. And are looking like young adults it makes it harder to let go now. That's why Riker was so easy to get to, and with him the quintet and everyone else, it's because of this child.'_** Dayton saw in their eyes at that.

And knew it was the programmer's thoughts at the news he just given her as he answered her question. ** _"Yes, that's right, that first year was enough to change things and as time went on, the people you possessed started seeing me as their own. Because, until the quartet started or arrived, if we had more the one. I was the only JR. officer on board the ship, their star pupil and surrogate son."_**

 ** _"And with it my scores and grades, to them it was something to be proud of, because I was preparing to join Starfleet for one reason, and one reason only at the time. So I could take my place as a true member of the crew and return to them as they had me with them until it was time for them to transfer off the ship. So everything you think you know about us, has several gaps in it."_**

 ** _"Because when in emotional pain, us humans start forgetting things and that leaves out important information needed. And that's your fatal mistake, but not bothering to read through our minds thoroughly. The commander though was acting like he was carefree when you got it on him, was in fact caring a deep emotional pain, and I'm the catalyst."_ ** he said and Dayton watched his eyes widen.

 ** _"I don't suppose you're connected to Radue of Aldea are you, because I promise you that once I break your hold on our parents, they're going to kill you for that. Those kids and I have been through enough, me especially, my mother, when she's furious, acts like a mother bear. But if anything happens to me, and I get hurt during this situation and she's going to tear you apart."_**

 ** _"As I said I'm her only child, she'll protect me to the death, as for the quintet and everyone else, but if you're connected to those nightmares. I'm having and I find your last piece to this conspiracy on this ship. Nothing is saving you from their wrath when they're back to normal, because a human parent will protect their children to the death."_ ** he said and he watched as their eyes widened at that.

Listening to this, Charlie Dayton tried to keep his face neutral, but was laughing inwardly at that remark. 'God buddy, just embarass the hell out of her, that she doesn't understand earth human ways, that's too good right now.' he thought to himself laughing as he turned and looked at Picard to see the shocked look on his face then. ** _'Dear lord, how could he see all that, and that I messed up in my plans so easily.'_**

 ** _'Where did this child learn to be that observant exactly?'_ ** he saw in his eyes and knew that it was the thoughts of the programmer. **_"Well to answer your question, it's I was taught by the people you're taking control of. But once we go into investigation mode, I suggest you work harder to keep your plans from getting out. Because once this gets into the federation and they learn it."_**

 ** _"And what you had planned, this is getting you thrown behind bars for a severe case of charges. My mentors are the two best officers in this case, I was also in training from the time I was fifteen. But everything they, and the crew, forgot is just another weapon against you right now. And sometimes a year's worth of separation is enough to make the people who raised you from childhood."_**

 ** _"Or just the ones who became extended family, forget your own abilities at times. And the people you took control of are those people, you really think I wouldn't realize what the catalyst was that you used against my mentor. Or that you're the one who took advantage of him, before turning him into host. Well guess again, because I did, the man you turned into your first host."_**

 ** _"Was my mentor, he and your other lead drone trained me themselves and with them are the other fifteen people you have looking for me right now. Including the lead technicians on the ship and the head of security. The nineteen are the ones who trained me, but with it, if you have noticed several twists and turns in this, they are enough to keep it going this long, but that's your problem now."_**

 ** _"But separated for a close to a year, it makes them forget your own abilities at times and as a result if the added information is also buried. And your opponent remembers everything that they forgot, well you just dug yourself into a hole. Though you may think you know your opponents thinking strategies when reading it through the people you possessed, you don't, whatsoever."_** he said and watching them through the camera, he knew it was working as he went further.

 ** _"And with that in mind, the game's just gotten a lot harder, because you got decoyed by the only other teenager who actually sees this just as easily as I did. On earth we call this the sheep lead in trick and you fell for it, because she was the bait while I was getting the information needed to find out who you are. But you just got revealed as my opponent and if you want to play games."_**

 ** _"I'll play games, but I will beat you in the game, because that game is not getting off this ship. But I'm not playing any wargames with you, as you tried to turn this into a no winner. Leaving me only three choices, all of which end in the expansion of your game device. Well, if I don't see the option I'm looking for, time to create one of my own, and the men you took control of taught me that."_**

 ** _"And with that if you hadn't figured out my clues to my mentors and everyone else looking for me than you're never going to win this game, because you never leave your planet and go to mine. So every earthborn human references you can't understand and that's the biggest weapon against you. That and the fact that you can't read the layout, but only what you're getting from them."_**

 ** _"You're reading the map of the ship through everyone on board, but everything they blocked out is the part you can't find in these situations. That's the biggest weapon now, and if you could read me as easily as they can, you could have ended this two hours ago. But no you can't, and it's because you only got the last eighteen months of that bond at the moment and with that."_**

 ** _"There are a lot of things that even the people that mentored you forget and this happens to be it. Such as it is, they forgot I ever created that chip and with it the technology that is keeping them out of the control room. But these memories are set three years apart and under orders given to me and the computer by the senior staff crew at the time I created that computer chip."_**

 ** _"That I should start testing you on what got out of them and what you didn't, and so far I see that you have dug the memories. That are connected to my escape route of them yet, or the memories that are connected to that tractor beam. And when and why the computer has neutralized any and all attempts of your regaining control of the ship. So to you I'm running a hostile take over."_**

 ** _"To them, when they're themselves, they recognize the memories and patterns, because everything I'm doing was a piece of my training. But it's hard for you to decipher it isn't it, I can understand why though. You know why, well it's because your drones started blocking out them out after I left, in case this ever happened at the time, Captain."_** they heard and Dayton hid a nod of agreement.

 ** _"And did you forget something else as well all of you, when slightly unfocused I can come up with four to five good ideas in an hour. But fully focused and you better stay out of my way, because you're never going to beat me here. And not when you can't concentrate at the moment either, now I may be slightly worn out, but I'm still fully focused right now, you on the other hand."_**

 ** _"With you drugged and being controlled, let alone emotionally compromised right now. You members I spend and spent the most time with, you all lost your focus right now and and as a result you forgot a few things in the training. And so far, you're losing this game because you forgot to turn off the damn radio. But if you hadn't learned your lesson when I pointed it out, why start now."_**

'Oh god, I forgot all about that, it's been just under a year since he left at the time, but he stayed for a month and the pain caused me to block it out. And everything we forgot was made clear there, we had this conversation already and in the middle of it. We gave him orders not to listen to us and the computer security medical orders. We just ensured the ship's A.I. maintained full control of the computer and the ship.'

'And eleven months apart I knew how good he was and I still forget my own students abilities right now. Wesley don't do this, come on now, pull it over. If you chose now to do this you're not thinking straight pull it over. I know how good you are, but at the moment you're not thinking straight right now.' Will thought to himself as the same thought hit Picard then, though not noticing the look of scrutiny on Dayton.

Seeing the exact same thoughts shooting through Picard, he knew they realized they forgotten how good he really was then. ** _'Charlie don't say anything, we have to do this together, wait till I get Porter and Davidson into my apartment than start asking questions buddy. Because you're the one letting me know what the heck's going on, just pretend you're working, because your terminal.'_**

 ** _'Your terminal was mine, before I left, the problem is they're seeing you at every spot they normally saw me in, before I left. With my being their star pupil, before you guys arrived that's the problem right now. I have to make them see that with them focused on our conversation. Go to security procedures gamma 256325, input your codes, if we had another person connected to her here on the ship, your procedures are keeping them here.'_**

 ** _'They're not getting off this ship, so while I'm distracting them input your codes, and make it sound like I tripped off the added sensor relay. Once I change locations, so they think I did that instead of you, so after this is done tomorrow. Tell them that your added command functions and with it, so I know where the guys are hiding, and they're split into pairs during this too."_**

 ** _"With you being the plant now, start taking advantage of that, I need inside information, regarding a few things, so I can avoid them even longer. But I'm pulling the novel based off the video game and Jules Verne into the equation. This way it's enough to help out, because we're both bookworms and we're the exact same time to think it through regarding our moves, so with that."_**

 ** _'It's the ship's going on autopilot after I get to Data's quarters, but the ship's going on autopilot and hibernation mode for the night till that timer ends.'_** he heard and hid a nod as he looked at the furious look on his friend's mother's face as Beverly said it with a firm growl then to the ensign who was in there at the time. "Ensign, how bad is it?" Beverly said with a furious growl and he quickly said it to her.

 ** _"Severe case of sleep deprivation, and loss of everybody nutrient that he was having very high doses of when he was a child. Whatever else was in his system caused those hotflashes and his body temperature spikes right now."_** he said and and she nodded slowly to the news. "And you never checked the damn logs to know why he'd need to run that test on himself?" she said slowly and she knew he was scared.

'Yeah he's screwed now, she, his her, is getting stronger by the minute right now at the moment, keep it up Wesley, it's working.' Dayton thought to himself then gently. **_"I didn't know Doctor, I didn't realize that's why he came in there, I thought he was going to check on Data. I didn't think he was actually coming to check himself out."_** he said and she nodded with a furious look at that information.

"We can discuss this later." she said with a stern tone and she raised her voice. "Alright if you're watching us, I can figure you're now screwing with the camera wherever you're hiding right now. But every public area is blocked, if it's gone completely quiet, you've taken cover somewhere." she said and she heard a chuckle as he answered her, his tone bemused. **_"Yes that's right, and you're not going to learn where."_**

 ** _"Until after that alarm goes off, yet again, but as it is, that course you have is my training course. This one is make it up as I go now and with that in mind right now, mother, if this was my training game turned real at the moment._** ** _I do believe the rules qualified for giving your target enough time to prepare, but again that's another rule you've broken now, but here's the thing._**

 ** _"In a game there are rules, you follow the rules and you win, you break the rules and get get disqualified. Well you just broke one of said rules a bit ago by not giving me enough time to prepare, so I improvised in that and with that But your opponent doesn't give you enough time to prepare if it's short notice._** ** _Than improvise, and that's what I'm doing right now by creating my kits."_**

 ** _"And since noon_** ** _this afternoon, ever since this started, but like another situation. But it's been just under three days since you, Sir, returned from Risa and in that time we've had two attacks of bodily harm, and one case child abuse as well too. So in a way she's breaking the rules of this game and her training left and right and ever since you started hounding me to try that game."_**

 ** _"That I haven't had anything to eat in twelve hours, that I'm going to improv now and where you're finding out very soon. But again there's three rules in these scenarios, but 1) when off your own turf never let your guard down. 2) Never just accept something from a woman that shows interest in you, if you're on leave, if you're a man and 3), and most importantly here."_**

 ** _"Once the host and patient zero is created, never, if you're victims connected to them just accept whatever they suggest you to try. And once they get back on the ship if they say they brought it back from the planet that burned you once already. If you're trying to focus on something else, like say research or repair jobs regarding the ship itself after it took some damage barely a month."_**

 ** _"Prior to that at the time, and the latest arrival on the ship in question is recently delivered baby as well too. And with that, if you're were distracted by both my returning, and by the fact we had to deal with the research as well. Than you just left yourself open to being turned into a group of drones now, because you all lost your focus after I left at the time here."_**

 ** _"And with it, if you forgot your own parenting skills as well here, than it's the aggravation of dealing with a recently activated cadet. And when his or her's parents are not on board the ship, and he keeps getting into trouble. And three new_** ** _arrivals as well, two who are like the cub you want back, and the third an adult version of the cadet that keeps getting himself into trouble with you."_**

 ** _"So as a result you lost your focus and left yourself open to her manipulations at the moment. But as you're trying to catch every member of the ship to make you have everyone part of the grouping, you basically ran the victims, the primary target's reserves dry, to make them an easier target right now. So technically you, or rather she, is the reason I'm looking like I'm suffering from something right now and with it, your inner selves,_** ** _the you I know."_**

 ** _"And I know they're getting stronger by the minute, but your parental instincts are beginning to take back control now at the moment. If you're getting this irritated at trying to find me. But that alibi is not going to work when the authorities show and she gets arrested for child abuse. Though I'm technically an adult, that's not going to work, because I'm on vacation at the moment._** ** _"_**

 ** _"And once back here on the ship, I'm back under your supervision and here's your problem now. But the supposed plant that caused the entry tubes to be cut off is the reason your job just got harder at the moment right now, Sir. You should have gotten him out if the search."_** he said as they heard a smirk in his voice and Picard sighed as he answered his remark at that as they exchanged looks then.

"Alright wherever you are, I want to talk to you, young man." he called out and a minute later an image of Wesley appeared on the main viewer then. **_"Yes captain?"_ ** he said and he crossed his arms at that as he answered him. "If you got our flaws in training than you ought to know that comming us in the middle of a manhunt is a failure in yours, Wesley." he said and he watched him smile then as he answered him at that.

 ** _"Not at all captain, in fact it's just the opposite right now, you see I realized that there were four options to choose from in this scenario at the time. Aside from that if you were yourself, you'd fine this good as me and my friend were working together in this. And like another scenario, it turned into a test of strategic thinking, pitting your skills against ours at the time."_**

 ** _"At the current moment if you forgot the last time you spoke to me like this, on the view screen there on the bridge. It maybe a couple months later, but then it should feel familiar to you, because the last time you did it. It was the day you said your exact remark to Commander MacDougal. Regarding cutting the power on the tractor beam into the room at the time and with it."_**

 ** _"She and Commander Riker were trying to see what was wrong and went to check. While Lieutenant Shimoda was in the room with me, and yanked the chips. But here's the problem now for you captain, that game is a mutation of the very thing that caused the control room to end up under my control. Under your and mother's orders, it's a medical security lock out at the moment."_**

 ** _"Medical security lockout combined with the no winner test and another situation a few weeks later after your original security chief was killed. But under your orders, all three of you, you told me if you all ended up compromised. Then by your orders to activate the computer programming I created in case this happened, well now it has and with that in mind."_**

 ** _"If you're angry that I'm doing what you told me to do, sorry Sir. I'm just following your orders right now, as for the no winner test at the moment._** ** _But in the first three choices that were involved in this particular test I saw several things I know you and your programmer never expected me to see. But I did and I read through each option carefully as well at the moment too."_**

 ** _"But I attack you head on by coming into the engine room or the bridge, let alone face to face with the security teams, I get arrested. Try to shoot to kill regarding you, arrested, try to beam on to her ship, arrested. So three options in this no winner and they all result in the expansion, so no getting reckless at the moment regarding this. Aside from that you ought to know me better too."_**

 ** _"Because if I do and try any of these and the wargames in a conspiracy situation are going to result in the expansion, so no. I'm not getting reckless, but sticking to my training in stealth exercise and aside from the alarm going every time I leave the room you have no clue where I am. Because I'm intentionally avoiding a confrontation with any of you just to head that off."_**

 ** _"So with that, if you new guys expected me to get reckless and attack head on you're wasting your time right now, because I won't. And I'm choosing the one least likely to end in failure right now, but if you considered everything you once told me, you'd remember these things. But then as I said, separation for a year does funny things to your memories and with it at the moment."_**

 ** _"It's the added act of one year separation can change the look and personality to the person you trained. And they're better in skills and instincts, let alone knowing you, better than you remember them. It took close to two weeks regarding the stealth test to crack that in your guys's case at the time. And then close to three regarding the training foothold test, before I left last year."_**

 ** _"Because that's the added catch, when slightly out of it, I'm likely to come up with four to five good ideas in three hours. Fully focused and you better stay out of my way, because you're never beating me. And we've already had this conversation last year as well. But as you once told me, you want to win this game than choose the most least likely actions to throw your opposition off."_**

 ** _"And I may look and sound like I'm worn out now, but my concentration is strong you're never going to beat me. Because I've avoided captured for six hours and it's going on midnight right now. If you thought you could catch me off guard in the engine room it didn't work, because I know you better than you think. And I have done that by reversing the attack in the engine room."_**

 ** _"Your programmer picked a game as a way to start a conspiracy, well if she wants to play games, I'm willing to oblige right now. But four years in training has come in handy as does knowing everything about you when you're yourselves right now. If she took the time to read your minds than she just got the last eleven months, but not the first three years and four months."_**

 ** _"Everything you thought you knew and remembered was blocked out of your minds, or forgotten, including things regarding my training. But as I was working on that computer chip to the terminal in case this ever happened. Than you all forgot a few things in the first few years. And the things I know my version of you was blocking out to protect me at the moment from her."_**

 ** _"But that's the clear flaw in the programming and why my deprogramming attempts are beginning to work on you, it's clear you all lost your focus. And when I left you were all running on auto pilot for the following eleven months. And having someone that is just like me in training on the ship, but a bit more hardcore, is beginning to hurt, because you all miss my being there."_**

 ** _"That the advanced training ensign that just arrived and with him was Ensign Lefler. The duo are so much like me that that's reason you lost your focus, why is that, well it's because he carries my exact personality traits, the way we were together. He's able to read the twenty of you in the same way I do and to you, seeing him in my spot gave a link back to me, but though you had him."_**

 ** _"You wanted me back, as your prize pupil, your surrogate son, and I don't have to hear the words out loud to know that regarding this either, Sir. And it's because it's been close to a year apart and the results are though you have him you were seeing me sitting there working at the helm, in the engine room at your sides Commander, Chief, us working out in the holodeck together."_**

 ** _"Us on the pad playing around, me in the lab with you mother when you needed my help and everything else. In every spot since I left you see him and you're remembering everything and how it was before I left. How I took to my training, how I never hold anything back from you, and how I never tried to push it further than you'd allow at times, but all of this you're remembering."_**

 ** _"Seeing me in my element, on the bridge and in everything else we used to do together when in between training sessions and our recreation time. And it's easy to see that this is hurting all of you emotionally right now. But that's the opening that she was looking for and she took advantage of that."_** he said to him as he felt the pounding in his heart start then at the news as Wesley looked at him then.

 ** _"My strategy is one taken from a time when our our forebears were acting on getting around by stealth. And that was a strategy taken from their more militaristic style of training in how to evade detection. Everything you forgot in history, ancient history, I've used, and everything she's digging into your minds for is digging a deeper hole for her right now at the moment."_**

 ** _"But when the planet turns hostile it's time to call it quits in going there and now that it has. It's you broke another another rule in training. But never let your guard down when you leave the ship, or you're going to get some unforeseen side effects. Like say being turned into an assassin, it didn't work then and it won't work now, because your attempt on us got figured out."_**

 ** _"Just before the axe fell, when you decided to come after Robin and me. But you see, that was a trap we planned, while she plays decoy, I'm busy in the medical lab and I see the entire conversation between you and Etana. I know what her plans are right now and with the fact you just shifted courses now. It's making sure her plans never get off this ship right and with that in mind."_**

 ** _"You dealt with another conspiracy at the time and rule 1: you want to get passed detection, make small talk, eye contact and just relax. 2: never separate and 3: and most important now: never tell the possible future compromised where you're going. Or about any health abnormalities you have or the infected are going to find out about it in the process and with those words in mind."_**

 ** _"Did you forget something else right now, act like everyone else, to get by undetected, I created two of those headsets, but their mock-ups. And in the rules of a conspiracy, you get three chances now, but the first was lucky, twice was pushing your luck and three times, get ready to run. Because it's about to turn into a chase down and manhunt and I reversed the ambush."_**

 ** _"Yeah that's right, you all clearly messed up in your training at the moment. Because I knew that you both were in the engineering room waiting to ambush me. So what else to do, but throw you, and your programmer, off by reversing the ambush in there. But this situation turned itself into another game, us human, or humanoid, members play all the time in ten forward or our quarters."_**

 ** _"Or did you forget that, and with it is the fact it took trying to beat each other by throwing each other off guard with each play. But this entire time, you haven't been able to do that and it's because, every time you try to catch me. I'm hearing every play you make and it's digging her into a checkmate faster than she realizes right now, because rule one in this game in normal cases."_**

 ** _"It's never tell your opponent your moves or you're never going to win the game._** ** _Because said game sets are either on one board, or just stacked up. I've been playing you since I was sixteen Sir, and as yourself, we've both had some very close wins. But at the moment you've lost all of your key players and all that's left are the pawns now and it's been going on for close to five hours._** ** _"_**

 ** _"And this game is going to keep going till she gets arrested because by then my reinforcements are going to be here and this game ends in a checkmate, in my favor. Because you forgot your own training lessons in these cases and the fact you gave me certain orders last year before I left. And everything you yourselves, as yourselves, forgot in these situations, as a result."_**

 ** _"And it's because the route of the problem is you lost your focus, you lose your focus and your opponent can easily take advantage of that. And with it, is an act of letting your guard down way too soon. Let alone letting some woman make you forget your own training, when that rule is 'until back on your home turf, never let your guard down'. And you, commander, did that and here's the result right now."_** he said and Picard nodded, as he said it to himself then.

'Chess, he's turned this into a chess game between us. Alright if that's how you want to play it now, it's reversing the attacks now just to catch you this time. But this keeps up and you're going to collapse, come on now Wesley, it's time to take a break. But who the devil is the other piece to this, and where is he getting these ideas from right now anyway, regarding all the distractions.' he thought, before he saw him smile at that.

 ** _"You know for someone who is a skilled strategist, you're giving yourself away way too easily right now._** ** _Or maybe she is, I don't know, but everything she doesn't know or doesn't understand. And that's another game being played on earth, she's gambling way too high in getting that game into the federation. And when she thinks she's got everyone on the ship over the age of 18 too."_**

 ** _"But the stakes are higher than she thinks right now, it's the pot has now topped an exact amount of $500,000, and the longer this goes on. And the higher that pot gets till the person winning this round catches the person. And with those words in mind right now, she's lost every round in the last five hours, since this got started, because she's not seeing that ace in the hole."_**

 ** _"You caught Robin and she just assumed that she was faking it, she assumed I had no idea how to work this so easily. But that's her fatal flaw now, her arrogance and with those words in mind. And without digging it out of your heads, to read through the earth information on us, and me. Is just another weapon against her, I can use right now, and as for why that is."_**

 ** _"It's because the K'tarians never leave Risa, the ship is compromised of mostly earth humans, and of 50% mixed planets. And that's her problem right now, she doesn't understand us humans to get what I'm trying to do, or what my decoy attempts mean. She doesn't understand the first game, but with the fact she dug this one out of your heads I can see it in your eyes right now."_**

 ** _"That you're about to change strategies now in order to catch me off guard, and that's another rule broken, you want to win, never give away your hand. Or the person you're playing against is going to bankrupt you in ten second with every dime in that pot. As to that she's flunking with her studies of reading earthborn culture through you at the moment, and that's her fatal flaw now."_**

 ** _"To them, a visit to earth is not an option, they like the quiet utopian like community of their planet and up until now. As did we, till you, commander, get turned into an assassin and then this happens. So two strikes in the side of ten months, and both because this planet is trying to start a war between us and whoever's involved now and while Data caught the first, I catch the second."_**

 ** _"And to them and every planet in the federation earth, earth is less advanced in cultures than they are. And our history of 25,000 years of life on earth is considered unusual as it is right now. What else to do, but to use that against them and take it back to a time when we were just five to ten years old, in technology, war tactics and everything else at the time."_**

 ** _"And test her on that to see what she understands right now to what she doesn't, because the more she doesn't understand. Then the more at a disadvantage she really is. And it's because she doesn't understand anything about earth, take this for instance, to her, and her controlling you now. But to her it's, I'm now planning a hostile take over regarding the ship."_**

 ** _"The ship's responding to my orders, because I created that programming just before I left and we did this test, before I left as well, my last mission was with you Captain. And I saved your life at the the time by keeping you alive long enough to get you back up here and I stayed for another month. Before I left, but like my father, you had grown used to having another Crusher here."_**

 _ **"Working under you, and our bond deepened even further, because he wanted you to forgive yourself for what happened to him. The devil's heart was the next catch, just like the Stargazer, at the time, you're wishing you could bring him back. And seeing me in his place is and was beginning to heal you up, before I left and then you have a relapse in that after you found that jewel."**_

 _ **"And here's the result, you want to bring back my father, give me and my mother my father back and it's hurting you emotionally right now. Sir, I forgave you for that long ago, you can't keep doing that to yourself. Listen to me, what happened was something you couldn't have prevented at the time, it happened too fast for you to prevent, it's not your fault he made the choice to leave."**_

 _ **"He left the ship, and even if you had enough time, it would have killed all three of you, he wanted you to have a second chance with me and here it is. The bond of connection we had was enough that you decided on having me in training till I left. And it's because you, as yourselves, know I'm a skilled computer expert."** _ he said and Picard sighed as he felt his inner self getting stronger at at that.

'Son stop please, don't do this, I need to focus, come on Wesley, don't do this to me, not now.' he thought to himself, and, seeing the emotional pain in his body language, Dayton knew that Wesley's statements were getting to the captain. 'Keep it up Wes, it's working right now come on, keep it up.' he thought then as he saw the older man trying to keep his expression neutral at that as he got ready to answer him at that.

Before he could though he went further. **_"Sir, after four years I remember one of your biggest lessons to me and it's, 'You let your emotions get in the way of what needs to be done and it can and will get you and whoever's with you killed. Bury your feelings deep down, they do you credit, but they could be your undoing.'. And you're right, only I'm not the one who's in trouble here."_**

 ** _"But you are, when in the field we had to keep control of our emotions in a crisis in this case, your emotions are the reason you're in this mess right now. Close to four years together, things change and as I said you help raise the child in question and you never want to let go after that. But at the moment, that depression has resulted in you getting turned into a host now."_**

 ** _"Why else would I choose those things to just to make you, my you, stronger, but to get through to you. It's clear to anyone who was in psychology that my leave has unlocked something else in you and I'm you're surrogate son. To you, letting me go is hardest on you and to the members I'm closest to, it's enough of reason for you to lose your focus."_** he said and Picard sighed at that remark.

Before realizing it, as he thought it over then. 'Wait a second if he's got a line in here, he must have one to the engine room right now as well at the moment. Alright I'm letting Riker say it for me, if he's getting as frustrated as I am right now.' he thought, trying to keep his face neutral as he waited for it.

 **The Engine room:**

Hearing that remark the same exact thoughts that had gone through Picard shot through the duo and Will answered that remark from the engine room. Looking at the teenager from the engine room, Will said it sternly as they looked at the look on his face. 'Damn it kid, I thought I said never try these stunts when in training. Why break that rule now when you're undercover.' he thought as he answered him then firmly as he said it

"You may say that, but comming us in the middle of this clearly was a severe flaw in your training. I thought I taught you better than that now, but we went over this and the last few stunts. Let alone this was not in the training, what is this, 'make it up as you go' to make this more interesting right now. Because trying it like this is going to have someone catch on to where you are, before you leave wherever it is at the moment."

"That you're hiding right now and along with that is that we've got every corridor blocked and getting something to eat is not an option. And not without getting yourself arrested right now. And the second that alarm goes you're exposing yourself each time. Because constantly setting off the alarms is enough of a failure in your training. By telling us where you are, every time that alarm goes off each time and with that."

"As was the collision you caused between Bates, Greyson and their teams, before Porter nearly caught you. But frequently pulling stunts like this is enough to make it clear that, you're taking some severe risks in your training and that luck is going to run out eventually. Aside from that, that timer is going to end soon enough and you're going to be exposed after that, you ought to know that." he said and he watched him smile.

Before seeing something in his eyes change as he looked into his eyes gently and Will felt his heart fall slightly at that. ** _"If you were yourself you'd be thinking the opposite right now, Sir. You remember what you used to tell me, you let your emotions get in the way of what needs to be done it could destroy you. But your emotions are exactly the reason you're in this mess right now at the moment."_**

 ** _"How and why, it's because of me, you miss me more than you know. What about you Sir, I mean from day one, the day we met, you were giving me tips and training me, before I took my position as a member of the crew. After mom left you took it upon yourself to act like my father. After the worst portions of the flu were done with, you decided you weren't having me deal with it again."_**

 ** _"And I turned to you for everything that year after she left, though fourteen years apart in age, it didn't matter, you started acting like a father to me. By the time we reached dealing with the Borg, it was enough you were determined to not have me suffering a relapse. In things regarding having these guys push me into over doing it, at the time and with it was the fact that in training."_**

 ** _"Which as it turned out turned into a repeat later on at the time and as to why I was making sure we got ourselves out of the trouble we get ourselves into. But the damn side effect was the result of dealing with these guys, but to you, you just weren't ready to let me go anymore than I was ready to leave. Because by that point our bonds were that of father and son now."_**

 ** _"But it was after Specialist Riker arrived and you got the news you were assigned as Captain of the Aires, what made you give up that post. Because you and the counselor were back together and that past year created an even tighter bond with everyone else, including me at the time. And what did you choose after he left at the time, you chose to teach me your favorite sport."_**

 ** _"And in between training we did this and it just deepened the bond between us. You taught me to improvise when we were dealing with the wargames on the Hathaway, what was the first memory that came back after you got that micro organism in your bloodstream and we had to get it out of you. It was the day we deployed, and you and Data had connected at the time."_**

 ** _"The fact that in both this and the day that broke down the barriers between us as the original members of the crew who of the senior staff. Aside from yourself, was involved in helping me get us to safety, and you saw my abilities for yourself that day. You should know what lengths I'd go to just to get you all back now, after close to five years together."_** the young man said to him gently then as Will tried to hold it in then as felt the pain in his heart start growing.

'No I couldn't have just caused him to push himself to this level. I know that look, it's shifted from trying to focus on the matter at hand. And our bond is making it harder for him to concentrate right now and us along with him. No, son stop, please, don't do this to me, not now. Son come on, you keep this up and you're going to collapse, stop already now, kiddo.' he thought softly as he finished that thought gently.

'My student, my cub, my son, son please, don't do this, please just stop.' he thought feeling the pain of his leaving in his heart growing by the minute. **_"Sir I understand but holding it in is just going to make her grip on you even tighter, don't fight it, just remember, all of you just remember."_** he heard in response to his thoughts as he felt his normal self beginning to grow stronger as he answered him.

 **" _As I understand it, if she had this planned, she was trying to catch me in the act of seeing what's causing my condition all this week. But as she doesn't understand what it is that's really wrong with me at the moment. And her thoughts went into you, she's doesn't understand the human anatomy. But you do, if you were yourself at the moment, you've seen me like this before."_**

 ** _"And more than once, and it's till I collapse out of exhaustion, but if you remembered when exactly, you'd see the signs sooner. You, the six of you, and the crew members I'm closest to, saw this before in me three years ago, and your exact thoughts were then you should have pulled the plug._** ** _And sooner than you did at the time and with those words in mind right now."_**

 ** _"What she's not understanding here is another reference to our culture, from the late 20th century and a year after Kirk and his crew ended up in 1986. But as the child of a doctor, I know how to fix the gaps in my things if you read my diagnostics a bit ago and I should tell you. There's no use tracing this link or trying to find me right now as I know you're trying to counselor."_**

 ** _"Because it's cloaked and my shields are up so tight, there's no getting through them right now. Four years together, you think I wouldn't know how to block you out Counselor, it's the side effect of being this bonded to a half Betazoid. You lose control of your emotions the power blast is going to be like you threw a boulder into a swimming pool so with that in mind right now."_**

 ** _"Keep up those shields at the moment, but as I said, though, you tried to keep up the charade. If you don't want to get found out, don't start insisting that your targets should try it, it just makes the act more desperate right now to round up every non infected with the said virus. And act normal, like yourselves instead of the way you had been acting lately at the moment."_**

 ** _"You committed the mistakes in your training, but I haven't, like the collision in the hallways. That's one of the things you taught me, to throw off your opponent, pull the least likely move so they had no room to pull out. At the moment you're not going to find me till that alarm goes off. After I relocate, it's time for bed after that, so you better take a break, it's going to be a long day."_**

 ** _"Tomorrow, once this starts again and by then my reinforcements are going to be here. Aside from that, if we have any junior crew members running loose in the halls I suggest you better get them out of the search. Because I'm not breaking my routine here and he's never going to find me either."_** Wesley said firmly and he answered that as he looked at the viewer gently as he said it to him.

"Just how do you expect to get out of wherever you're hiding, we've got corridors blocked off and the second the alarms goes off, you've been made. You're taking some serious chances with this right now and that luck is going to run out eventually. Aside from that, how long do you expect this last, it's been four hours and you're running on fumes right now at the moment." he said and he saw him smile at that remark.

 ** _"You remember what you used to tell me here, if the opponent doesn't give you enough time to prepare: than improvise. If they're cutting off one way to getting yourself refreshed: take an alternate route and so on. But as this switched courses, her problem is she never studied the inner layout of this ship, and as I can see you standing at the pool table right now."_**

 ** _"That's another fatal mistake, because those scanners don't dig deep enough into areas that are shielded. And even if you tried to isolate me with thermal scanners, even the smallest reading can be misinterpreted here. Did you forget that we had children younger than five on board, let alone we have a two year old cat as well, if they get into Matainance shafts it's going to confuse them."_**

 ** _"I learned from an early age how to block my signature and you taught me this yourself. You don't want to be found, don't stay in one place longer than an hour, like the simulations on the holodeck, and nice try Greyson, it didn't work. I knew what you were trying to do here at the time, I can guess if you were trying to pull that, it's you were trying to get me to show myself."_**

 ** _"But no, not going to happen and that little mistake on the holodeck, it was so I could distract you, before I left my hiding place. And that always worked with you guys anyway. But 3.5 years, I know you better than you know yourselves to counteract your maneuvers here, but to beat me you have to think up a different way out of this as its 15 hours and counting."_ ** he said to him firmly then.

 _" **And whoever's in the halls that are my age, if you're a newly activated recruit you better get out of there right now, because rule one when as a teenager. 'When it comes to manhunts or anything dangerous, leave these things to more skilled officers than you are.'. And I'm warning you right now, if I hear you're breaking orders after Ensign Dayton,** **or anyone in the adult crew."**_

 ** _"Has already ordered you to stand down and ordered you to your quarters and you're in big trouble once I end this, as I'm the JCL. And that means I'm in charge of the junior crew. And with Ensign Dayton right behind me, but here it is. Because deliberately breaking orders when in a situation is enough of reason to deny you your rank and uniform till you stop acting like a spoiled brat."_**

 ** _"And start acting your age, as this job is a serious business, and if you think you can catch me, you better think again. Because I'm not changing my ways in this and every officer older than you are knows this. And if I was the source of my inspiration and you ran into them, you'd be killed. Or turned into a hostage so with that, and again, stay out of this and leave it to the adult crew."_**

 ** _"So fair warning, you get caught and arrested later, and you're in big trouble for breaking orders here. But you continue to break orders and it's you're losing that shot."_** Wesley added and Will hid a sigh as he answered him as he tried to take on the tone he normally used with him in training. 'Come on son, you're exhausted and the longer this goes on, you're going to get hurt, just stop.' he thought as he said it gently.


	7. 7: Plans, Misdirection and Rest Stops

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs tome and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Warnings: For this Chapter there's going to be a reveal of who the chosen latest member of the group added to the teens crew. In addition to himself, Charlie Dayton and Robin, as they get the message he's telling them. But for Etana she doesn't understand, though the freed crew members do now as they're freed.**

 **Chapter 7: Final Plans, Diversions and Settling In**

 **The Engine Room, Riker's POV:**

"At the moment we got every public area blocked, so how do you expect to get something to eat. And with that is trying to get a chance to rest at the moment. As I said you're taking some serious risks here and the second that alarm goes off you're exposed. But the longer this goes on, the more likely chance someone's going to get hurt, or you, yourself, do, and you're beyond exhausted anyway, so it's time to end this."

"So just pull it over already son." Will said gently and, seeing his eyes narrow in anger, he knew that backfired as he answered him. **_"I know that's her doing the talking in your voice, Sir. What you think I can't tell the difference between you and her talking to me, in your voice, just what do you take me for exactly. Your specific orders before I left last year, is if you were compromised at the time."_**

 ** _'Than ignore everything you say to me, because, like the computer program, I created I can tell the difference. You think I don't already know what you all chose in alibis to turn me into a drone to get that thing into the academy. To put this bluntly I saw your entire conversation with your programmer. I heard the entire conversation, so though you made this out as whatever alibi you chose."_**

 ** _"And whatever reason you're getting frustrated if you chose this one exactly, if Derek Hanson is still on board the ship. Then he's the reason you're getting this aggravated at the moment if you chose that alibi to arrest me. Well I do know, your mistakes in training are making it easy to avoid you. And_** ** _I did that once already with Greyson and Porter_** ** _and now you're pulling emotional blackmail."_**

 ** _"Well forget that, your behavior is clear regarding this, I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work this time, Sirs. If you were yourselves you'd be calling me by the nickname you always have at the moment. Not by my surname, not my full name, but my nickname with you guys._** ** _So that's not you doing the talking as I know you, so forget about it, I'm not giving in._**

 ** _"As for MacGregor, whatever his intention regarding me, it's not going to work and if he's here, than you should remember this one as well. But to the sextet and me, regarding a previous trauma. As you told him earlier Porter, it's enough that you should know these things, but when it comes to a previous trauma, leave anyone connected, out of it, if you wanted an easier chance to catch me."_**

 ** _"You should have left him out of it, as for everything else it's pretty simple right now, if I'm using that many reminders and as I said. You're trying to control your feelings is just making her grip on you stronger. It's two things here, you for me and me for you, but you know what the real problem is after the entry tunnels got cut off, but something you've been dealing for years, in my case."_**

 ** _"For four years, together, does four years really make a difference in what's she just pulled emotionally in my case. Does it really make enough of a difference to fix the damn trauma, that this situation has or is about to turn into. That you, as yourselves, could deal with, after the last major traumas I've had these last 4.5 years, if you were still yourselves you'd know the answer to that."_**

 _ **"She's just triggered enough of reason for me to do anything I can to prevent that thing from getting off this ship. Because if I don't and you're getting tried for mutiny and shot, so screw it, it's not going to work this time and again. Don't waste your time in trying to trace my emotions, my shields are locked up tight,** **Counselor**_ ** _."_ ** He said with a firm growl as he finished with the next sentence.

 ** _"This game is not ending till I say it does now and with it, forget about trying to trace this transmission, because it's cloaked. So again, the rest break is over and it's time to get back to work. But in case you haven't figured this portion of it out after the simulated explosion you're never going to win. I mean just how many more indicators do I have to throw at you, before you remember this."_**

 ** _"Huh, just how many, and along with that, if you also hadn't figured this out. Or she doesn't understand human anatomy when you're a teenager and the dangers of what certain food additives and lack of sleep does to you. That's enough that you failed your training as well, survival training. In case you haven't noticed, or you never put it together at the current moment."_**

 ** _"After you saw me in the engine room five hours ago it's simple if you were yourselves right now._** ** _What could possibly have teenager looking like they're suffering from exhaustion and it's part of a normal life in human anatomy. So what's the one stimulate that could possibly be keeping you awake past normal parameters and the dangers of it building up in your system exactly, huh."_**

 ** _"You've been trying to catch me in the act all week_** ** _and not till tonight do you finally see it._** ** _Why else would I choose now to take a break, but because of the added symptoms that go along with it. And I needed a god damn recharge, if you were still yourselves you'd know the answer to that question right now "_** he said as he injected a beyond exhausted time into his voice as he went further then

 ** _"And any parent or legal guardian, let alone responsible adult, can see these things if they were themselves. And know exactly what's wrong with the victim, if you're a parent, or are the adopted parent of said victim. Which is why I'm pushing myself passed the damn breaking point right now to deal with this. And with that, if you forgot your lessons in survival training right now."_**

 ** _"Than you're your forgetting your lessons in biology class and with it health class as I'm a medical born and I know what to do, focus on that. But, then again, you failed in your training by not paying closer attention to who you consider your junior crew at the moment. And when two of them figure it out in two hours and one of them is not up to their best at the current moment."_**

 ** _"When normally you can see this automatically, if you were yourselves. But if you can't see this at the moment._** ** _If you hadn't found me by now you're never going to win this. So you better try harder and at this hour you all better take a break, because it's late and we all need to get some rest, so with that, call you later._ ** he said and at that they watched the transmission end at that firmly.

At that, Will try to get him to answer him then. "Wesley wait a minute, come on, answer, answer me, come on, son, come on. Stay awake, come on stay awake, Wesley answer me!" he said quickly and then slammed his hand on the table. "Damn it, alright we have to find him and fast, he's on the edge of a collapse right now, we need to end this now!" he snapped as he heard an answering response from Picard at that remark.

 ** _"Yes, and if he's getting ready to move locations there's going to be an indicator on that. But the next question is where exactly right now too and which room he's in with the sensors off. Our only indicator is by the fact that the map is working after he switches locations, so we just have to wait now."_** he said, before they heard the alarm go off in answer to that remark.

 ** _"Where's he hiding this time exactly?"_** he added and Will hid a smile at that as he looked up and saw which room as he answered him. "Bingo, we got him, he's hiding in his quarters right now. Alright Porter, Davidson, check the room out." he said as as he sighed as he heard a gentle suggestion from Dayton then. ** _"Sirs, I recommend splitting up the search teams into pairs, each team covering a specific spot."_**

 ** _"So while the eight are searching for him, the rest of their teams are guarding the public areas and sickbay, in case he tries to go in there for a more supplies or getting something to eat."_ ** he heard and nodded as he heard Picard say it for him as he hid a smile. **_"Good idea Ensign Dayton, alright Lieutenant Bates, you and Lieutenants Porter, Roberts and Greyson divide your teams in half."_**

 ** _"You choose where each of you is hiding and let me know where you choose to hide."_ ** he said and and he heard four affirmatives as he got on the line then. "All junior crew officers who are not supposed to be on duty. Stand down right now and report to your quarters for the night." he said and he heard an immediate call out at that. **_"But Commander, you need added back up in this."_ ** he heard and his tone went stern.

"No we don't young man, in a manhunt, you leave this to the skilled professionals, and said professionals are the officers who've been at it longer than you have. And again, you even try to disobey orders and you're losing your shot. Report to your quarters right now." Will snapped into the radio sternly and he heard a sigh at that. **_"Great, what's next exactly?"_** Evans asked and they heard a loud crash and clang at that.

And in answer to that question and Will shook his head as he answered him. ** _"Good grief, alright wise guy, who's the one playing around with the sound effects right now. Because we've had enough of the pranks and practical jokes tonight?"_** he heard from him as he added on to that as they heard a secondary clang in answer to that remark and he looked at Robin as she was trying to hide a smile at that.

"Sounds like he's trying to lighten up the mood after I lost my temper at the moment, alright wise guy, that's enough of this right now. With the fact you just triggered the alarm, again, you just been made, so let's see you get out of this now at the moment." Will said firmly as he heard two crashes and a loud clang in answer to that remark, as it began reverberating off the tunnels connected to the engine room then.

 ** _"What's your intention here, is this just distraction and diversion right now young man or something else?"_** Picard added and Will hid a smile at that as they heard the noise tap out a sentence to them. "I think he's throwing a challenge at us if we just heard that now, but that just made it clear. He's not giving up right now at the moment, Lieutenant Porter, if he's hiding in the ventilation shaft, check there."

"But whatever this is it's getting to the point he's using morse code to send a message and that's what the sudden sound effects are for right now." he added and he got an affirmative. "What's he saying exactly?" she asked and he translated the message as he hid a smile then as he read it out the sentence at that."If you want to know the answer to that question, just look at the clues lying all over the table in my quarters."

"But I came in there for three reasons, but if you want to find me, then trace the alarms until you get the right apartment. What with the fact that with every adult crew member out of their quarters right now. Though considering there's also 5,000+ places to hide, I could be anywhere, so with that in mind right now. I suggest you just trace the alarms, until the heat sensors are back on line, because you have until the timer is up."

"Just to find me right now." he read out before they heard several more in a warning tone. "I can hear the warning tone and command tone in this one, and it sounds like it's pointed at someone, Sirs." Robin said and he watched the duo and Picard nod as Picard said it. **_"It is, and it's pointed at Cadet Hanson, and he's making it clear this just turned into a training game."_** Picard said firmly to her at that as Will injected the added command tone into his voice as he heard him read out the command warning.

As his voice read out the stern tone as he then forwarded his warning to the supposed recruit as he injected a stern tone into his voice as he said it. "And whoever's on duty that wasn't supposed to be you better stay out of this, if you're a newly activated recruit. Because that's enough to get jumped when this comes to an end, and that's not a warning, but a promise right now, if you're a newly activated recruit at the moment."

"So you may think you know me as well as the crew does at the current moment, and Hanson if you're still up here. And they activated you some time before I returned home, you try getting involved. And you're getting arrested for reckless endangerment and getting jumped in promotions. And that's not a threat, but a promise here, Cadet so stay out of this, but as you're not thinking like the person you're looking for does here."

"But listen to me carefully right now, Derek, if that's you who just got into the fight with the commander and whatever reason they yanked you off duty right now. Though if it's because of the last few cases of speedballing and the captain and commander gave you a warning on that prior to whatever reason Ensign Dayton got hurt last month. Or whatever duration it was, it's clear you're on medical watch if they're this aggravated."

"And along with that is this, and if I was really the source of my inspiration you try and take me yourself, and with a weapon as well. And that could get you killed or turned into a hostage and to the adult crew, command and security. That's a hindrance rather then a help, in this case as they have Dayton and Lefler where they can see them right now. 2) it's by staying off the damn radio and 3) it's following orders, so break orders."

"And it's getting you arrested by the teachers in this game. And it's you're not looking at the fact that with the radio open I know where not to go to. So think about that, before trying a reckless stunt, pal." he added for him firmly as he exchanged looks with Worf and Picard and they nodded, bemused as he finished that. As he gave nod in agreement to his remark as he answered that remark then with a bemused smile on his face.

"Nice warning kid and he's right, if this was training mode getting reckless is going to cost the recruit their promotion. But I think that was a warning to any junior crew we just sent to bed, to stay out of this or they're getting arrested for reckles endangerment right now. Then again, of five, only two know our procedures and what happens when you act, before you think and this has been going on so long at the moment. "

"That its clear he's thinking through his plan carefully at the moment right now, and instead of barging right in there. And attacking, he's thinking through his strategies at the moment here right now and again Cadet Hanson. You try and get involved and you're being relieved of duty, so get to your quarters and stay put." he said sternly as they heard another one tap out at that in agreement, before entering two playful taps then.

And he saw her lower her head at that and knew she was trying to keep from laughing at that. "Well I don't have to hear his voice to know he's saying 'if you think this is interesting just wait, I'm just getting started right now.'." O'Brien said with a bemused smile as they heard a third tap to confirm that thought and that did it for her as she started laughing as they heard the conn officer answer that with a bemused tone.

 ** _"Alright enough already tonight, cool it already kid!"_** he heard from the operations console officer at the response they just got in answer to his remark. Before he saw Dayton turn to look at him as he answered that remark with a bemused smile at that. As he answered his statement as the adult crew exchanged bemused looks at what this was turning into then as he said it to him at that with a slightly amused smile then.

 ** _"You had to say it, does that answer your question, you know you keep this up in asking rhetorical questions like this. And the results here,_** ** _are he's going to be switching to the 'ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer' phase here. If anything he's just like me and if that tells me anything. So every time you ask, we hear another crash or clang in the Jeffries tubes and maintenance shafts."_**

 ** _"As to that, we don't need these things getting anymore out of hand than it has already. So you better cool it with the rhetorical questions, Lieutenant. Because I think that's the trigger for the repeated crashes. So you better cool it with the rhetorical questions or the next one is one, both or all three at once so you better cool it now."_** he heard from Dayton in answer to the latest bit of noise.

That they heard in answer to that question and he could tell the young man was trying to keep from laughing at that. And he could also tell the teenager was looking sideways at the older man from his console on the bridge with a bemused smile on his face at that. As he hid a smile as he answered that remark. "Thank you ensign, but I got this, and he's right Lieutenant Evans, we don't need these things getting too out of hand."

"So you better cool it with the rhetorical questions, or he's going for the 'ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer' phase Lieutenant, just focus right now.' he said as he felt his inner self trying to keep from laughing at the answer to the other man's question at that remark. 'Come on son, that's enough of this already now, I know you're trying to make this game more interesting, but these stunts are getting out of hand.'

'And it's time to take a break now, if you're in there for any reason, it's clear you need medical attention at the moment. Especially if you ended up in your quarters, choosing your apartment as your mother is medical doctor, whatever you're trying to tell us we get. But that only makes it clear you need to stop now son, come on now, just pull it over already kiddo.' he thought softly as he waited for the response from them.

 **Wesley's POV:**

At that remark, he waited as he heard Will try to get him back on the line to answer him. **_"Wesley wait a minute, come on, answer, answer me, come on, son, come on. Stay awake, come on stay awake, Wesley answer me!"_** he heard him say to him quickly and then heard a thunk and knew he slammed his hand on the table as he knew his parental instincts had gone crazy at that as he heard him say it then.

 ** _"Damn it, alright we have to find him and fast, he's on the edge of a collapse right now, we need to end this now!"_** he snapped as he heard an answering response from Picard at that remark. **_"Yes, and if he's getting ready to move locations there's going to be an indicator on that._** ** _But the next question is where exactly right now too and which room he's in with the sensors off."_**

 ** _"Our only indicator is by the fact that the map is working after he switches locations, so we just have to wait now."_** he said, and Wesley hid a smile as he said it to then before they heard the alarm go off in answer to that remark. After ending it at that, he smiled firmly. "Yeah, alright time to leave the room like this, the old magic act, 'now you see me, now you don't, ploy, but if we're going for rhetorical questions."

"It's time to annoy them now with the acts of having the sensors and noises sending them in several different directions and with that. Lal keep the radio on, I need to know where the search team pairs are being stationed at. And trigger the noises to go off every time they start getting rhetorical." he said as he grabbed the first bag and opened up the grate to his mother's closet, shoved it back and then gave the order.

"Yeah alright that should do it now, everything is in place, now time to leave the scene, except..." he started to say and looked at the shard and razor like edge to it. "Alright time to see if you can tell the difference between stage acting to the real thing. Lal check my medical records, when was the last time I got my tetanus shot taken exactly?" he asked her and in answer to that it appeared on his mother's computer and he nodded.

"I'm do it for it now, yeah alright I got to do it tonight, because if I landed on top of this one, I could have ended up with septicemia and then tetanus here. Yeah alright, Lal I need two units of blood, in my blood type, I came in here for three reasons: a recharge, create my supplies and take care of my injuries. We're going to stage acting preparations here, and see if she can tell the difference between the two of this at the moment."

"But my alibi to what I'm doing it in here just came to the fore now." he said and two units of blood appeared on the replicator as he pulled the sheet that had the strips he'd torn out of it. As he went to the cabitnet and opened it then, and grabbed the tetanus vaccine. ** _"Wesley what are you doing exactly?"_** she asked and he explained that to her as he was looking for the added ampoules needed and putting the others back.

"My alibi to why I came in here, had I not stopped and sat down I could have collapsed and landed on those shards. They're sharp enough to cut into a vein or artery, but that's what the bags are for right now, a fifth of the amount of the first bag. This is covering my hand and the rest is to point out the fact I accidentally gouged myself in the leg if I had collapsed in there, and I'm simulating the blood trail into the room."

"But the trick is to make this as real as it gets for them, so their parental instincts are over riding the program on these headsets right now." he said as he grabbed the equipment his mother used to use on him when he was a child. "If this doesn't get their parental instincts to start going haywire, nothing will right now. We tended put on plays and stage blood was part of it at the time and with that in mind right now."

"My quarters are the next best place with sickbay in enemy hands right now at the moment. Since all doctors kept their own supplies if they had a family and Mom's added equipment was here in the room at the time now. And I can just leave the skin knitter and laceration healer lying on the table next to the syringe, and along with it. Is the empty bag of blood there, and with those two pieces of her home medical equipment."

"That helps to make it seem like I had sliced my hand against a jagged piece of metal. In the explosion earlier. I came in here for medical care and I dealt with my injury and exhaustion myself, and packed up my supplies here. Yes alright Etana, if you can't tell the difference between stage acting and the real thing. Then you're never going to win this game now at the moment here, if you don't understand the concepts."

"Of human anatomy and earth based entertainment on movies up to the 21st century. But with my medical condition if you can't figure this out, you're never going to win this game. Added case of anemia to go with it, and one unit lost and the other taking care of the damage. Iron pills to add on to it and finally leaving the evidence all over the living room of my condition now." he said as he grabbed his mother's laceration healer.

And skin knitter and looked at the bags then and sighed. "Aw god, alright I'm going to have to slice my palm and then use it, so I got a red line on my hand, making it look as real as it could get. But the explosion, Lal, there was a jagged piece of metal left in section T-95 after the explosion when Roga Danar was here at the time, that enough?" he asked and she quickly answered him at that, her tone gentle as she said it to him.

 ** _"Yes it is, what's the implication here regarding your subterfuge in this Wes?"_** she asked and he explained that. "Because I'm going to have to simulate the fact that the explosion in T-95 threw a piece shrapnel across the tunnel. But it wasn't the simulated explosion that caused it, but when we had Danar here. Did anyone bother to clean up that entire tunnel, after we fixed the external sensors and tactical."

"When we had him here?" he asked and he heard a sigh. ** _"No they didn't, with the area too dark to see anything, you collapsed on a rusted piece of metal. And gouged yourself in the leg let alone slashed your hand on a second, is that the implication here."_** she said and he nodded. "Yeah that's the implication alright, my adrenaline levels were dangerously low, I was exhausted and collapsed into the wall."

"Before trying to push forward and not seeing where I was going, I tripped and sliced my hand on it. Checking my palm and pulling that one out, before seeing that a second had sliced my thigh, except the one to my leg hit a vein. And I need a blood transfusion, and my pants were slowly leaking blood all over the floor, before I got in here. Before I tore apart that bedsheet and wrapped my hand and leg, before going to you."

"And raiding mom's office in our quarters for the equipment I need for this to do it, this piece of metal with me, is that shard, but I need the bags. So it's point is drenched in blood, so I'm making it look like I yanked it out of my leg and was carrying it back to my quarters with me here, so with that in mind I need two bags of my blood type. And hit the lights in the tunnel leading into my room, because the stain was slow in coming out."

"And was running down my leg and staining my pants and beginning to start leaking, but this is the case with torn veins and arteries. And then it started seeping through my trousers, but the basic rule of thumb with this as with a vein hit, it's leaking, an artery, the artery has it spurting blood. So it's the first, and to heal the damage I need the following equipment." he said and checked the cabinet as he said it out loud then.

"Yeah alright, skin knitter, laceration healer and vein/artery healing knitter..." he said as he looking through his mother's equipment closet to check and grabbed the first two and smiled as he grabbed the third. "And..., bingo, that's the last piece I need, the IV line for the second bag. Alright, subterfuge step here and I can get the blood back into my body. But the alibi here is I came into my quarters and went to my mom's office."

"And used her medical equipment to go to self induced healing, I'm a science prodigy and my mother is a medical doctor. The injury is going to have my adrenaline levels wearing down. For humans we suffer an adrenaline surge when we're hurt, but for this when I collapsed against the wall in the tunnel. My hand landed on a jagged piece of metal that was rusted, and I saw that a second sliced my thigh as well here."

"So with sickbay in the hands of the opposition, I came in here to run first aid on myself and saw that laceration to my thigh sliced a vein, and my uniform was soaked on the knee down. So I was going to self induced healing, and created a real general stimulate cocktail to get a second jolt and get something to eat. And while I was recovering from the blood loss and began work on creating my first aid kits and supplies here."

"That's the implication here, but the evidence is the empty bag lying on the table." he said with a sigh, as he grabbed a clean set of pants in the same color as the one's he was wearing, as he grabbed the knife. And sliced his palm and watched the blood appeared, before adding the first bag to it as he grabbed the healer and knitter after slicing his leg and dumping a third of the bag across his hand and a third down his leg.

And then gripping his make shift bandage to leave a bloody handprint on it, as he wiped the blood and smeared it across the hatch door and wall next to it, before dropping several drops of blood, on the tunnel floor. And on the floor in the hatch, before using the knitter, to heal the veins in his hand and leg. As he then used the laceration healer and skin knitter and disposed of the first bag, after rinsing out the inside of it then.

As he then went to taking the added tetanus shot vaccine for real and doubled the dose of the mineral cocktail. Before taking the iron pills then and left the second bag, that still had some blood smeared on the inside of it on the table next to the syringe. And placing the bottle of tetanus vaccine next to the spent syringe and nodded as he left the candy bar wrapper sitting next to it along with the cup of water, before heading for the hatch.

"Data, is Derek still up here, by that I mean Derek Hanson?" he asked and he heard quick remark from him. ** _"Yes and he's on medical watch and on light duty, I think that was the alibi, but yours is not the same as his. But you better make it clear this is more than just a training test gone real. He's just gone active in the last five months, his arrogance could kill him if he doesn't get it under control."_**

 ** _"So put this into morse code, with the added command tone, you're the leader of the junior crew team, and the trio are just like you. Remember: you think things through, play by the rules and take it slow and you make points. You get reckless and break the rules, given out by the teachers in this test, including me, and you lose points."_ ** he said and Wesley nodded as he gave the order then.

"There's only one option in doing this right now, it's putting my warning to him in morse code. He's never listened before and why start now exactly here. Since he's been arrested once too often and if this means anything right now, if he's on light duty and medical watch. He's relieved that for one your attention is off him and on me for once, so I just take advantage of that and turn it on him right now in a bit, so with that.

"Lal, unlock the door, reactivate the security in my quarters and set off the alarm, in three, two one..., now." he said as the alarm started blaring as he pushed himself further into the ventilation shaft and closed the shaft hatch and then heard Picard's bemused tone as he added on to his previous remark, he knew he was bemused. **_"Where's he hiding this time exactly?"_** he added and he knew that Will was hiding a smile at that.

As he knew he looked up and knowing he saw that he'd ended up in his quarters then as he answered him, as he gave out the order. **_"Bingo, we got him, he's hiding in his quarters right now. Alright Porter, Davidson, check the room out."_** he said as Wesley heard a gentle suggestion from Dayton then. ** _"Sirs, I recommend splitting up the search teams into pairs, each team pair is covering a specific spot."_**

 ** _"So while the eight are searching for him, the rest of their teams are guarding the public areas and sickbay, in case he tries to go in there for more supplies or getting something to eat."_ ** he heard and nodded as he heard Picard say it for him. **_"Good idea Ensign Dayton, alright Lieutenant Bates, you and Lieutenants, Porter, Roberts and Greyson divide your teams in half."_**

 ** _"You choose where each of you is hiding and let me know where you choose to hide."_ ** he said and and he heard four affirmatives as he got on the line then. "Yes tell him that, if you hadn't learned your lesson before, why start now, regarding the radio. Thanks man for the added help, but whoever wasn't supposed to be on duty, better stay out of this, or they're losing their shot at second in command of our team."

"And with that, that's the next catch in the commander's eyes." he whispered as he heard Wil call out the order. **_"All junior crew officers who are not supposed to be on duty. Stand down right now and report to your quarters for the night."_** he said and he heard an immediate call out at that. **_"But Commander, you need added back up in this."_ ** he heard and then heard Will as his tone went stern at that.

 _ **"No we don't young man, in a manhunt, you leave this to the skilled professionals, and said professionals are the officers who've been at it longer than you have. And again, you even try to disobey orders and you're losing your shot. Report to your quarters right now."**_ Will snapped into the radio sternly and he heard a sigh at that as he heard the lieutenant at the operations say it.

 ** _"Great, what's next exactly?"_** Evans asked and they heard a loud crash and clang at that. And in answer to that question and he knew Will was shaking his head as he answered him. ** _"Good grief, alright wise guy, who's the one playing the sound effects right now, kid. And it's because we've had enough of the pranks and practical jokes tonight?"_** he heard from him as he added on to that remark then

As they heard a secondary clang in answer to that remark and he knew Will looked at Robin at that as she was trying to hide a smile then as he answered that remark then. **_"Sounds like he's trying to lighten up the mood after I lost my temper at the moment, alright wise guy, that's enough of this right now._** ** _With the fact you just triggered the alarm again, you just been made, again at the moment."_**

 ** _"So let's see you get out of this now at the moment."_** he heard Will say to him firmly and the answering response was he heard two crashes and a loud clang in answer to that remark ** _. "What's your intention here, is this just distraction and diversion right now young man or something else?"_** Picard added and Wesley smiled. "Lal, morse code in the next remark, the remark is 'No, but with the fact this just started."

"If you want to know the answer to that question, just look at the clues lying all over the table in my quarters, Sir, and with that in mind. But I came in there for three reasons, but if you want to find me, then trace the alarms until you get the right apartment. What with the fact that with every adult crew member out of their quarters right now. Though considering there's also 5,000+ places to hide, I could be anywhere, Sirs."

"So with that in mind right now, I suggest you just trace the alarms, until the heat sensors are back on line, because you have until the timer is up. Just to fine me." he said and in answer to that remark gently. As the morse code turned into several crashes and clangs, as he thought it over and nodded as he remembered what Data told him then as he finished that as he injected a stern tone into his voice as he finished that.

"Alright Derek if you're stil here, I'm making it clear right now regarding this." he said as he added on to his remark firmly as he injected a command tone into his voice as he said it then. Knowing Will was going to translate his warning then as he said it sternly then as he said it to his former rival who he knew was also possibly still on board then. "And whoever's on duty that wasn't supposed to be you better stay out of this."

"Especially if you're a newly activated recruit as well at the moment here. Because that's enough to get jumped when this comes to an end, and that's not a warning, but a promise right now. If you're a newly activated recruit at the moment, so you may think you know me as well as the crew does. And Hanson if you're still up here and they activated you before I returned home, you try getting involved."

"And you're getting arrested for reckless endangerment and getting jumped in promotions. And that's not a threat, but a promise, Cadet so stay out of this, but as you're not thinking like the person you're looking for does here. But listen to me carefully right now, Derek, if that's you who just got into the fight with the commander about getting involved and whatever reason they yanked you off duty right now."

"Though if it's because of the last few cases of speedballing and the captain and commander gave you a warning on that. And prior to whatever reason Ensign Dayton got hurt last month. Or whatever duration it was, it's clear you're on medical watch if they're this aggravated at the moment. If that's the added reason for why they were getting worried about me right now at the moment and with that in mind right now."

"2) it's by staying off the damn radio and 3) it's following orders, so break orders and it's getting you arrested by the teachers in this game. And it's you're not looking at the fact that with the radio open I know where not to go to. So think about that, before trying a reckless stunt." he said and in answer to that, the noise tapped the message in morse code for them as he heard an answering response from Will at his remark then.

As the noise began reverberating off the tunnels connected to the engine room then as he heard Will add on to his remark then with a bemused tone in his voice at that. ** _'Wes come on, the frequent noises when we were ourselves was one thing, but you don't need to over do it right now.'_** he heard him say to that, with a slight chuckle then. ** _"I think he's throwing a challenge at us if we just heard that now."_**

 ** _"But that just made it clear h_** ** _e's not giving up right now at the moment, Lieutenant Porter, if he's hiding in the ventilation shaft, check there."_** he added with a dry tone to that in answer to remark then. **_"But whatever this is it's getting to the point he's using morse code to send a message. And that's what the sudden sound effects are for right now."_** he added and he got an affirmative tap to that.

 ** _"What's he saying exactly?"_** she asked and he translated the message gently at that remark. **_"'No, but with the fact this just started. If you want to know the answer to that question, just look at the clues lying all over the table in my quarters, Sir, and with that in mind. But I came in there for three reasons, but if you want to find me, then trace the alarms until you get the right apartment."_**

 ** _"What with the fact that with every adult crew member out of their quarters right now._** ** _Though considering there's also 5,000+ places to hide, I could be anywhere, Sirs. So with that in mind right now, I suggest you just trace the alarms, until the heat sensors are back on line, because you have until the timer is up. Just to fine me_** ** _."_ ** he read out before they heard several more to finish that.

 ** _"I can hear the warning tone and command tone in this one, and it sounds like it pointed at someone, Sirs."_** Robin said and he watched the duo and Picard nod as Picard said it. **_"It is, it's pointed at Hanson, and he's making it clear this just turned into a training game."_** Picard said firmly as Will injected the added command tone into his voice as Wesley heard him read out the command warning.

As he then forwarded his warning to the supposed recruit as he injected a stern tone into his voice as he said it. **_"And whoever's on duty that wasn't supposed to be you better stay out of this, if you're a newly activated recruit._** ** _Because that's enough to get jumped when this comes to an end, and that's not a warning, but a promise right now._** ** _If you're a newly activated recruit at the moment."_**

 ** _"So you may think you know me as well as the crew does, a_** ** _nd Hanson if you're still up here. A_** ** _nd they activated you before I returned home, you try getting involved._** ** _And you're getting arrested for reckless endangerment and getting jumped in promotions._** ** _And that's not a threat, but a promise, Cadet so stay out of this, but as you're not thinking like the person you're looking for does here."_**

 ** _"But listen to me carefully right now, Derek, if I was the source of my inspiration you try and take me yourself._** ** _And that could get you killed or turned into a hostage and to the adult crew._** ** _That's a hindrance rather then a help, in this case as they have Dayton and Lefler where they can see them right now._** ** _2) it's by staying off the damn radio and 3) it's following orders, so break orders."_**

 ** _"And it's getting you arrested by the teachers in this game. And it's you're not looking at the fact that with the radio open I know where not to go to._** ** _So think about that, before trying a reckless stunt."_** he added for him firmly as he exchanged looks with Worf and Picard and they nodded to his warning, bemused as he finished that, as Wesley watched him nod in agreement as he watched them exchange looks.

"Go ahead Sir, tell him that for me, winning this game is by thinking things through and not getting reckless right now." he said to him softly as he answered that remark then with a bemused smile, and Wesley knew his version got the warning as he forwarded the message as he said it for him sternly. **_"Nice warning kid and he's right, if this was training mode getting reckless is going to cost the recruit their promotion."_**

 ** _"But I thinking that was a warning to any junior crew we just sent to bed, to stay out of this or they're getting arrested for reckles endangerment right now. Then again, of five, only two know our procedures and what happens when you act, before you think and this has been going on so long at the moment._** ** _That its clear he's thinking through his plan carefully at the moment right now."_**

 ** _"And instead of barging right in there and attacking he's thinking through his strategies at the moment here right now and again Cadet Hanson. You try and get involved and you're being relieved of duty, so get to your quarters and stay put."_** he said sternly as they heard another one tap out at that in agreement and he saw her lower her head at that and knew she was trying to keep from laughing at that.

"If you think this is interesting honey just wait, I'm just getting started right now." he said as he heard two more taps at that. **_"Well I don't have to hear his voice to know he's saying 'if you think this is interesting just wait, I'm just getting started right now.'."_** O'Brien said with a bemused smile. "Lal one gentle tap, to confirm his thoughts." he said and a minute later they heard a third tap to confirm that thought.

And that did it for her as she started laughing. 'Yeah baby, I'm playing the funny man with you right now and once I have you guys back to normal this is changing directions. Whoever you broke up with was an idiot to let you go, well his loss is my gain now honey." he said smiling to her as he heard the conn officer answer his response to O'Brien's remark with a bemused tone in his voice at that as he said it exasperatedly.

At the answering response to his remark at that as they heard another one at that, as that did it for the conn officer. **_"Alright enough already tonight, cool it already kid!"_** he heard from the operations console officer at the response they just got in answer to his remark as he heard the suppressed laughter in Dayton's voice then as he answered his remark, and Wesley knew he was looking sideways at him from his console then.

 ** _"You had to say it, does that answer your question, you know you keep this up in asking rhetorical questions like this._** ** _And the results here,_** ** _are he's going to be switching to the 'ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer' phase here. If anything he's just like me and if that tells me anything. So every time you ask, we hear another crash or clang in the Jeffries tubes and maintenance shafts."_**

 ** _"As to that, we don't need these things getting anymore out of hand than it has already. So you better cool it with the rhetorical questions, Lieutenant. Because I think that's the trigger for the repeated crashes. So you better cool it with the rhetorical questions or the next one is one, both or all three at once so you better cool it now."_** he heard from Dayton in answer to the latest bit of noise.

That they heard in answer to that question and he could tell his friend was trying to keep from laughing at that. And he could also tell that he was looking sideways at the older man from his console on the bridge with a bemused smile on his face at that. **_'Wes, whatever you're doing down there, you better stop playing with the radio, they're beginning to get aggravated at this.'_** he heard from him and hid a chuckle.

As he hid a smile as heard Will say it with bemused tone. ** _"Thank you ensign, but I got this, and he's right Lieutenant Evans, we don't need these things getting too out of hand._** ** _So you better cool it with the rhetorical questions, or he's going for the 'ask a stupid question,_** ** _get a stupid answer' phase Lieutenant, just focus right now.'_** he heard him say and he knew that his normal self was holding it in.


	8. 8: Rest Break, Distractions And Talks

**The Bonds Of Family And Friends**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs to me and everything else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Warnings: This Chapter is going to be two fold, as I lost part of the chapter and it needed to be rewritten and it's the same for chapters 10, 11 and 17. So I'm doing a repair, job but the Story ends after they deal with arresting Etana. And the next story is the follow up aftermath to this mission. As what would their ignoring the traveler's opinions on Wesley and deciding for themselves."**

 **And releasing the pressure would do for Wesley as season five goes in a different direct after that.**

 **Chapter 8: Medical Reprieves, Decisions And Added Decisions**

As he heard the door open then and the guards come in. "Whoa what a mess, kid what the heck were you doing in here exactly?" he heard from Porter as he watched him from the shaft. "Check his room, if there's a mess of medication bottles in here on the floor, and several hypospray medication pods. A backpack the size of the ones we normally used for equipment, there's got to be a reason for this." he added and Davidson nodded.

"He probably drained all his energy by the time he got in here and needed to grab a recharge of something to eat. And, to him, it's rather than risking a collapse by walking back and forth all over the apartment getting supplies. He's staying on the floor as he grabs whatever it was he ate for that recharge. Something to drink to rehydrate himself and then hit himself up with whatever back up dose he was using."

"If he came in here, to gather supplies, his mother's an M.D., and the CMO of our ship, so to him with sickbay in enemy hands to his way of thinking. It's go to another route and remain quiet to keep from alerting the guards standing guard, by coming in the through shaft. Yes, he's good, he's really good, and he's right, no matter what the kid says, he's not risking getting reckless, that or those actions are doomed to failure."

"Four choice decision, he chose the one that's the least dangerous right now by going on stealth and decoy attempts at the moment. After the panic attack he had when MacGregor tried to arrest him he's turned the room into a fortress. So leading into when he left it at the moment, it's locking out the A/V mode from engineering." He said and Porter nodded softly as he looked at the mess scattered all over the floor then.

"Yeah, he's taking the tunnels to get around at the moment, snuck in here to get a recharge and get something to eat and drink and created his survival kit. But what else exactly, that's the next question." he said as he said it softly. "Alright kiddo what are you trying to tell us this time, what's really wrong with you, what's with all of the medication bottles." he added gently as he moved to the bag as he pulled a first aid kid then.

Looking at the pill bottles sitting on the floor, Davidson walked back into the room as he said it to him. "Lieutenant, there's five bed sheets missing and one of them has had several strips torn out of it, like he was creating home made bandages for this. If this tells me anything he's created a first aid kit right now. But declined our level technology in favor of ways of the 20th to 21st centuries here." he said and moved to the bag then.

As he dug into it, he pulled out thirty packages, water bottles, a first aid kit and a small sack and looked in it. "Being the son of an M.D., his one health food downfall had to candy bars and if whatever's in these twenty, if they're separated by meal times is any indication, chocolate chip cookies as well." he said as he opened up the first aid kit and looked at it. "Uh huh, that explains the ampoules for the syringes lying on the table."

"Two of these are general stimulates, the other two are the medical cocktail to keep him going right now. He created a fifth, after eating that candy bar and drinking water and then took it. He came in here for a recharge and to create his supply kit. But whatever reason he needs these pills is the key factor, if he created several supply kits for it." he added as Porter grabbed the bottles and read the names and felt his heart tighten.

Looking at the pill bottles lying on the living room floor, Davidson read the names of each one. "These are all vitamins, Dr. Anenzi what did his self diagnosis say exactly, because we found a bunch of medication bottles for vitamins lying on the floor in here. And we need the names of every vitamin if he's looking like this and whatever's causing it is the next question." he said and they heard the doctor say it out loud then at that.

 ** _"And while you're at it I need everything regarding why he waited till now to reveal what's really wrong with him. And the symptoms are too, so go ahead and tell me Doctor."_** Beverly added and he knew the rehab Doctor nodded as he read out the symptoms then, as he did it his tone started turning concerned as he said it. ** _"Heart rate: 130/90, blood pressure: pre-hypertension from stress."_**

 _ **"His body temperature: 102' degrees, weight: 110lbs,** **blood sugar level: 305/caffeine level: 475, serotonin/melatonin level: 475/585. And slight indication of foreign chemicals in blood stream still.** **Diagnosis regarding these systems are: extreme exhaustion, stress,** **weight loss from malnutrition,** **mild fever from possible virus and acute substance abuse recovery."**_

 ** _"Straight forward diagnosis regarding that decision Sirs, Doctor, is that he didn't tell us when he got back. And it's because with that game about to start running amok on the ship, he wasn't risking exposing his condition to her."_** he said and Wesley watched as the duo leaned back at that new. "God kid what the hell is going on over there right now and why didn't you tell us when you came home."

"You know you're supposed to tell us when you're not up to something like this." Porter sighed as he went further. "Alright so what minerals has he lost, since he's been gone, because I have thirty bottles of vitamins and minerals sitting in front of me here." he said and the doctor gave them off. **_"Key nutrients missing are calcium, iron, vitamins A, B, C, D, K, potassium, Chronium and magnesium."_**

 ** _"All of these vitamin levels in nutrient are dangerously low. Vitamins C, D, and K, potassium, iron, magnesium and Chronium. Levels are in the dangerously low and need to be replenished immediately. Our patient is endanger of severe muscle spasms and severe case of anemia. Calcium and vitamin D are needed immediately as well."_ ** he said and they nodded as he looked at each bottle and said it.

"Yeah alright I got them all and I think I got it here the reason he came in here was s he could create the stuff needed to fill those holes, food and medical supplies. That's the catch now, everyone of these are the minerals you named off, medication box, is the specific meal times three times of day. And aside from tonight's dose, and he's taking it after he eats, but he came in here to get a fast recharge and get his supplies."

"And..." he started to say as he spotted the syringe then and then spotted the empty bag of blood and his eyes narrowed in concern. "Doctor did you teach him advanced first aid here by any chance?" he asked and Wesley heard his mother's tone change then. ** _"Yes I did why?"_** she asked and his tone went worried. "What pieces of your family medical care equipment did you keep on hand when he was a kid growing up exactly."

"If he came in here?" he asked and her tone shifted as she explained that. **_"I kept a several syringes, 50 in total, 20 of the medicines I normally used when he was sick. And with him being a technical genius, a laceration suture healer and a skin knitter and a full ampoule of tetanus vaccine, again why, what's wrong?"_** she asked him and he stood up as he answered her, his tone beyond concerned.

As he saw the shards then and the bigger one's tip was covered in blood then, before seeing the empty bag and that did it as he answered her. "He said three reasons to why he came in here, but 1) was so he could get a recharge after whatever fused you to call out that medical alert. 2) so he could create his supplies and I think he created two bags so one was showing what medical supplies were needed, including vitamins.""

"And I just discovered the third reason, but whoever that pattern belongs too possibly blew out the terminal, before it got repaired and there was shrapnel all over the tunnel. But if there was still left over shrapnel in that tunnel, and with too exhausted to keep going, he collapsed and landed right on top of two of them. The reason I'm asking that question is because that's there's two shards lying on the table here."

"And one of them is covered in blood up to the half way point." he said as Davidson came back into the room, with a blood soaked strip of cloth and he nodded. "Fresh surgery, and he needed a blood transfusion, as well as a tetanus shot. But he came in here to treat his injuries deal with his low blood sugar levels and create his supplies." He said and as he examined the hypospray syringe and the vials on the table.

And in a beyond concerned tone then as he said it to him. **_"Can you verify that for sure, if you found that equipment lying on the table. Because if he was taking care of injuries himself than he's doing by turning off the monitors in his quarters?"_ ** Will asked and Wesley smiled as he pushed it further as he made a tapping sound on the wall and Porter quickly froze at that as he turned to his bedroom door.

"Alright hang on a minute, I've got something here." he said as Wesley did it a second time and he carefully moved forward as he said it gently. "Wesley, you in here?" he said and Wesley made a sound like he tripped and then a loud clang and he shoved the door opened and nodded. "Found his escape route right now, there's blood on the ventilation hatch cover, and a bloody smear across the wall, as well another bandage lying here."

"And a trail of blood running down this tunnel and into the room at the moment, alright after he got it out of his leg, and I think it hit a vein. But slow leak as it started speeding up it was dripping down his leg and started leaving a trail till he got in here. And with his hand covered in blood it left several smears on the wall, the hatch cover. And till he got a hold of that bed sheet and wrapped his hand and leg till he could get to work."

"I also just heard a loud clang in there like he tripped a second time and hit the floor, I think he's heading for a area of crew quarters not connected to any of us, because that one's head towards the aft port of the ship here." He said and Wesley knew Picard nodded. ** _"Alright, Lieutenant Greyson check that area, Lieutenant Porter, keep a guard on his quarters."_** he told him and Porter left the room at that to stand guard.

As he waited patiently, he heard the door beep as it closed. "Lal reactivate the security, I'm going to the next portion of it. Yeah alright if you're really that stupid you'd never bother to check the parent's bedroom closet, do you. Because these crew quarters have more than two rooms if the senior crew has a family." Wesley said softly as he cleaned up the mess then and pulled his photo album out as he pulled the picture of himself.

Training with the quintet, and one that had Porter in it as he left them sitting on the table as he put away his mother's medical equipment. And smiled as he grabbed the second bag, reloaded it and got a fresh package to replace the one that got opened. And ate the cookies, fruit and snack items it, first before getting a second cup of water and downing it. Leaving it on the table and the package with the evidence exposed next to it.

To make it clear he needed as much of a recharge as possible, before he ate a real meal and shoved the second bag into the shaft and pushed it further back as he wrote out a message then to her. "Well time for psyche outs in this situation to really annoy her now at the moment. Yeah mix the wording the kid on the movie wrote out and with it the message the marine in the game gave to that monster." he said to himself at that firmly.

 ** _'I know who you are, I know what you're doing so why don't you just give it up now, because you're never going to win this. And I don't care how many times you try it, you're never going to win this. And I'm making sure your poison doesn't make it to earth so give it your best shot."_** he wrote out and left the message sitting on the table as he added his initials to the note and put the pen down.

As he walked back to his hiding place and pulled the door open. "Alright Lal unlock the door and set them off again, in three, two, one..., now." he said as he climbed in and closed the hatch as the alarm started blaring a second time. " ** _Whoa, alright the alarm's gone off in their quarters a second time, he's doubled back on us captain!"_** he heard from Will and heard Picard say it sharply then at the news at that.

 ** _"Alright Lieutenant Porter check there a second time, if you find any indication that he was in there, let us know."_** he said and Wesley relaxed quietly as he thought it softly then as he heard the door open. "Either this switched courses, or he's..., whoa, wait a minute if he did this, he must have listening to our conversation earlier." Porter said as he walked over to the table and looked at the added items lying there.

Sighing he said it, firmly as he looked at the new items left on the table. "That MRE I opened has had the cookies, fruit and some of the snack mix removed from it. And there's a second cup of water sitting here, so on top of the candy bar. Its he had decided to grab himself a quick snack here and a fast recharge to hold him till he gets some real food into his body tonight." he said and Wesley watched as he turned around at that.

"He's cleaned up the mess in here, and reloaded the bag we checked, it's gone and he left this as an indication now here at the moment. There's also a message sitting here, he's throwing a challenge at her as well." Porter added and he knew he was reading it, before he heard a thunk and knew he got it. "Our conversation over the no winner just landed itself on the table here, but the Transporters room systems are off line."

"This isn't regarding his blood loss Sir, he's sending a very clear message here to her regarding that game. He's either getting ready to attack head on in the morning after he's recovered from his surgery enough or he's trying to scare us now." he said, before he heard something change in his voice. "But why..., Wes come on, I have to focus, don't do this to me son, not now." he said gently as Wesley saw him looking at the photos.

"When was that one taken exactly?" Davidson asked and Porter sighed as he answered him. "It was a few weeks later after he created the computer program and downloaded it into the system. I was involved in a bonding exercise at the time regarding him, but Lieutenants Greyson and Bates, as well as I were all involved in his training for that entire 18 month period at the time." he said and Davidson nodded gently to him at that.

 ** _"What's wrong now Lieutenant?"_** he heard from Beverly and he sighed. "I just found some pictures of us when in his training, but first it's you six. And then I get added to the list now, but this keeps up and he's doing everyone that he's got a connection to." he said before he heard a teenage voice then. **_"I don't get it, why is he trying to psyche you out right now?"_** he heard and his tone went firm as he answered him sternly.

As he and Davidson exchanged annoyed looks as he said it. "It's part of the deprogramming, by making our parental instincts go on a rampage here at the moment and so far it's working, Cadet." he said firmly and Davidson sighed. "Damn it kid we've gone over this repeatedly, stay off the damn channel." he said in annoyance. ** _"Where do you think he's headed next, Lieutenant?"_** Will asked and he refocused at that firmly.

"With the fact he's gotten his supplies, he's not going out in public to get something to eat so he's going to settle somewhere for the night and eat. And then try and sleep this off for now, because that second dose is not going to last long. And he needs a chance to rest after a very fresh surgery." he said and as he sighed as he finished that. "With the fact he's thinking straight right now and all indications here says he is right now."

"His last remark before he left the room says he's not going out in public right now at the moment, getting reckless is not part of the plan. So until he decides to trigger the alarm, we don't know where he is and where he's going to set up camp next. At the moment until the alarm goes when he leaves it." he said as Wesley heard a teenage voice answer that, knowing exactly why the cadet was saying it as he heard the tone change.

 ** _"Why waste time in doing that exactly, Lieutenant, if this was me._** ** _I'd dodge a security team and head for ten forward here."_** he heard and he whispered in exasperation. "Dodge a security team and head for ten forward, do you take me for a fool right now. You really think I don't know you have security guards in every public area right now, if you're making that suggestion to me at the moment right now."

"That you want me to get reckless so I can get arrested by our own people and the expansion goes through. But getting reckless results in the expansion, I know that and that's why it's won't work, and is exactly why I'm not trying that buster. And it's because I know that if I try that, they're waiting to ambush me here. How reckless are you exactly, this game is being met on careful planning and not reckless actions right now."

"And that attitude disqualifies the player, because it's a way for the expansion to go forward. Damn it whoever you are get off the damn channel, you're tying up the line. They need to keep it clear right now, and to answer your question, and it's because I'm not that reckless and I know they're waiting to ambush me in there." he said as he sighed as he finished that remark with a stern tone at that remark then.

"The game doesn't have two options, let alone three, but four options to choose from and the first three are result in the expansion the fourth is a win. It's that clear buddy boy, and with that in mind, to keep from getting arrested it's by survival and stealth training. Not by recklessness, because getting reckless gets you captured, so if you intend to be a Starfleet officer, you need more then your muscles you need your mind."

"To survive in space you need every subject in high school, not just physical education, whoever you are if you're jealous of me or Charlie. You have a lot to learn in order to be an effective officer and the first step is by careful strategy. And knowing your opponent, but know your enemy and you defeat them pal." he said in a whisper as he heard Dayton say it sharply over the radio at that as he repeated his remark in reverse.

 ** _"It's because he's not that reckless, and he knows we're waiting to ambush him if he did try that,_** ** _Hanson, and with that. Get off the damn channel, you're tying up the line, we need to keep this channel clear right now and to answer your suggestion right now in this game at the moment, as he considers it._** ** _The game doesn't have two options, let alone three, but four options to choose from."_**

 ** _"And the first three are result in the expansion the four is a win, and he knows that as well. It's that clear buddy boy, and with that in mind, to keep from getting arrested it's by survival and stealth training. And not by recklessness, because getting reckless gets you captured. So if you intend to be a Starfleet officer you need more then your muscles you need your mind as well."_**

 ** _"To survive in space you need every subject in high school, not just physical education, if you're jealous of me or Crusher, you better get over it. You have a lot to learn in order to be an effective officer and the first step is by careful strategy and knowing your opponent. But know your enemy and you defeat them, pal, again if you want to continue your training now at the moment."_**

 ** _"Then you have to look at all the options here right now and without getting reckless and again get off the damn channel."_** he snapped at him sternly. 'Hanson, Derek is in basic training here on the ship. Aw god, the damn idiot, alright thanks for telling me who that is right now at the moment buddy. He's trying to get me to show myself so he can either arrest me himself or prove I'm just showing off right now.'

'I don't believe this right now, Hanson is trying to get on their good side by pushing his limits and their patience further than they can take it right now. If he's asking these questions, he's intending to try and arresting me himself. The fact that I could be the source of my inspiration, or worse, is not penetrating his thick skull right now. He wants the glory of catching me himself.' he said and heard Dayton quickly answer him at that.

 ** _'How much of an idiot is he exactly, if he's thinking we'd break our strategy if our positions were in reverse, and what did he do to end up training from up here?'_** he asked him and he sighed as he said it. 'If we were in the military, he'd be in the marines, us and Robin, we're Air Force, but he's a full soldier, we're half soldier/half scientist, but to answer your question. It's he got himself arrested twice for speedballing and for not paying attention to his charges last year, before I finished that program.'

"And a practical joke that nearly resulted in a deadly conclusion, whatever reason they're sounding like this is possibly the next reason and if it's connected to you, you can tell me later as well. But he's on his last chance or just blown it if he's in training up here, if you're now the source of his ire, and with it. To them, we're model student officers, we're the ones they and the captain relate to as a result of getting to know each other.'

'Charlie make it clear, he breaks orders, he's lost his shot at second in command of our team, man. I'm JCL, but their running checks on who's going to be the next in command and the no winner is the test meant to keep our uniforms and positions. But tonight is the test that is meant to prove who's better suited for the 2IC position. But don't tell him that, keep up the charade until Data hits them with the cure, alright, just focus here.'

'You, Robin and I are working in tandem with each other, but this is what the quartet are looking for. In truth mom, Picard, let alone Riker would prefer I had another medical born cadet, training ensign, watching my back right now. You have my back with Robin out of commission right now and with that in mind. With us medical borns we learned advanced first aid, I'm fine, I just had to fake it to get their parental instincts to start acting up.'

"With that, just lay into him, because you're worried about me, as you're my best friend and you're watching my back. As to why there really was a bunch of shrapnel and most, if not all of it was rusted, that piece laying on the table. That was the alibi needed to explain why I returned to my quarters, as to why, I needed a tetanus shot to head it off. But I needed to make it look like I really had collapsed and landed on the pieces.'

'That I was near to in there, but that's the alibi, tell them to confirm this as you're just like me, a fellow medical born. But by the time we reach that, I was too exhausted to focus, tripped, and fell, and that piece he found. That was the one that gouged me in the leg, the smaller piece was slicing my hand, and I needed to deal with it. And it's because it hit a vein, and once in a better light, I saw they were rusted and went to first aid.'

'Got the medical equipment Porter found sitting on the table and healed the damage, before using the I.V. and replacing the unit I lost. Took some iron tablets, got something to eat, in addition to the candy bar, and gave myself a real dose of adrenaline. And finished up, but tonight, once under cover, I'm sleeping off the epinephrine.' he thought to him as he heard the answering response aimed at the other boy as he said it.

 ** _"Hanson, this not the time for this, he's recovering from a case of blood loss and he's in no condition for an ambush. So if you're really that reckless that's a way to push him into a collapse right now at the moment. With one scare and panic attack thanks to MacGregor, and adding this to it. But this is going too far right now so back off, you have no clue what you're doing here right now."_**

 ** _"And he's needing a quiet place to rest after that right now anyway, as to why, with him to exhausted to keep going he's already collapsed and in the process ended up getting hurt. Captain, the reason he found that blood smear in the hatch and wall is because of the explosion, the added sections. But T-95 was a previous explosion site, all over that tunnel section was left over shrapnel."_**

 ** _"And it was from the source of his inspiration, the memory you forgot had blown up that terminal knocking out the external sensors and as a result._** ** _The last explosion we had in there left shrapnel all over the place, after two years it's rusted, he needed a tetanus shot to head of an infection and went to self induced medical care."_** he said and he heard Picard answer him at that remark.

 ** _"Are you sure about that, Ensign Dayton?"_** he asked quickly and he heard a sigh as he answered him. _**"Aye Sir, we may not have checked it, since Commander La Forge fixed that terminal, but with emergency lighting it's still too dark to see anything in there. With us cutting off any access to get anything to eat and the previous dose was giving out, he collapsed in that tunnel and landed on a few."**_

 ** _"Before he got to his quarters and by then his pants leg was soaked in blood and he went to self healing. Before getting to work on added applications regarding this. But I'm a medical born, he's a medical born, if our positions were in reverse, I'd do what he did. If fact, if I was him, I'd hide in one of the unoccupied crew quarters right now."_** he told him and Wesley nodded to the orders.

'Yeah alright, I'm doing that for the night, but where exactly buddy I have to make the room an unenpentrable fortress for the night. And it's locking down wherever I am so they can't find me until I trigger the alarm in the morning here. And watch the attitude Derek, or it's a stand down.' he thought to him softly and he heard Hanson snap at him at that. **_"Are you just trying to show off Dayton, he never even told you this."_**

 ** _"How do you know his frame of mind to know what he's doing!"_ ** he said coldly at him and he answered with a firm tone. ** _"Because we're two sides of the same whole Hanson, he thinks like I do. But everything he is I share and we're the two sides of the same warrior. I know how thinks because everything he does, I would do to get this far right now, but we're half soldier/half scientist, but that's how."_**

 ** _"And with you being a very fresh recruit, you want to catch your quarry you have to think how he does to know what he's doing. Anticipating their next moves, why else would he use chess metaphors when talking to the duo. But because he knows how they think and that's how he's evaded being captured this at the moment, it's a classic catch to a tactician here."_**

 ** _"For this long, it's know your enemy and you defeat them, we can do it because we've been in training for years here. So with that, we're model student officers, because we anticipate them._** ** _They know how we think, they know how we think, that's what makes a good working machine, I know his strategy. Because everything he's doing I'd do the same and we'd never get captured."_**

 ** _"And unfortunately, that's what's got the adult crew into this mess in the first place at the current moment. And while you're slacking off in class, we've got the job of making sure here nobody gets hurt while you're flying the damn ship, or worse right now at the moment. That you don't get yourself killed if we have anyone else working and involved in this, if his inspiration was on the ship."_**

 ** _"And with those words in mind, stand right now, Hanson, this is not the time for this right now. But I'm making it very clear here, you even try to go against orders and you lost your shot, get off the damn line right now and get to your quarters. The only ones on duty tonight are me, Crusher and Lefler, Ensign Kurland you better take a break, stand down now Ensign, and Hanson."_**

 ** _"Stay out of this!"_** he snapped and before Porter could answer, he heard the other boy snap back at him at that. ** _"You're not the one in charge Dayton."_** he snarled and he heard a thump as Dayton growled in anger at that. **_"I don't care if I am or not, I'm a senior ensign, you're a basic training, translated you're a cadet, we're training ensigns. I'm your superior, so again, get off the damn channel right now."_**

 ** _"Or so help me god, I find out you broke orders and you've lost your shot, get off the damn channel right now, cadet. You're newly activated, we've been at since we were 15, so stay out of this and I'm not kidding. Aside from that you're also on medical stand down, and you're not supposed to be on duty anyway. So get off the damn channel right now and get to your quarters."_**

 ** _"And I mean it too Hanson, you even try to get involved in this and you're being jumped now stand right now, cadet."_** he snapped and Porter ended it at that as he injected a stern tone into a voice as he barked out orders at that. "Alright that's enough out of both of you, Ensign Dayton, we appreciate the help, but we can take it from here. And Cadet Hanson, I'm making it very clear here, but you try and get involved in this."

"And whoever he's stalling for is the one arresting you, for reckless endangerment, this is not a game it's serious. So stand down right now, and I'm warning you, if I find out you got arrested, because you did it again and tried to get involved. And you're ending up back in sickbay, bcause we had all we can take from you. In regarding medical arrests, we catch you and that's it, clear?" he said as they heard a quick remark at that.

 ** _"But Sir I know how he thinks, you need my help to catch him."_ ** he said and Picard said it sternly at that remark. **_"No we don't young man, in situations like this leave it to the skilled professionals and Mr. Crusher is very correct, you get involved. And if we have whoever his inspiration was, catches you,_** ** _that turns it into a hostage situation and it's a hindrance rather then a help, mister."_**

 ** _"So again, stay out of this cadet, and as if that's not enough you're still under medical watch right now. And I'm warning you right now, trying it this soon after the last one is way too dangerous, so again. If whoever he's waiting for catches you and you're ending up in sickbay under medical watch. Now get to your quarters and stay there, Mr. Hanson."_** he snapped at him sternly then at that.

As Wesley watched a bemused look on his face. "Sir, it's best if you get ready to put a guard on him as well, I'm a medical and science expert, like my mother is. But I know what needs to be done to take the edge off in my case right now. Him, he never paid attention in class, if anyone needs Dr. Anenzi, then it's him. So I think you should keep an eye out, he breaks orders, he's getting arrested." he said to him softly at that remark.

As he heard two taps at that to him, then three more, four and then two to end the remark and he nodded with an exasperated sigh at that. **_"Yes, and thank you for the suggestion, I get the message. And that's a good idea as well, with him on medical watch, and light duty right now. And whatever reason for this, you better end it now, young man."_ ** Picard said, in answer to that remark to him, gently.

"Can't do that Sir, that rest break was one thing, but I'm getting ready to settle in soon, so until you hear me leave my current location, you don't know where to look. And right now it's trying to track the route, but it's going on scavenger hunts next. And after the the last few catches at the moment." he said to him before he heard three more, followed by two beeps, four and another two, before Picard answered his remark.

 ** _"Yes I get that, but every time you switch locations the alarm goes off, so you do realize if we check the right one. And you're going to get caught, before you can get out of there, correct."_** he said and Wesley answered his question. "Yes Sir, but leaving the radio going is a bad idea, as you're telling me everything. That's going on right now and with that in mind, you're just making the game harder on yourself."

"But personally I think Ensign Dayton is correct, regarding Cadet Hanson right now, so best to get him out of the search. And before someone else gets hurt, after I landed on that shard." he told him and they heard five taps, followed by four and then another five in answer to that and he nodded with a bemused look at that remark. **_"The games are wearing thin on our patience, this scavenger hunt is enough right now."_**

 ** _"So what's next exactly, if you're trying to switch from hide and seek to some other game, but the sudden morse code is going a little too far right now. So what is this if you're agreeing with Ensign Dayton, regarding Cadet Hanson?"_ ** he asked and Wesley explained that remark to him. "Just trying to make the game more interesting, but at the moment, best to get him out of the search right now."

"Because like you said, if I was the inspiration for my ideas, then it could get him captured. Or killed, and that's a hindrance to you, so best to leave it to you as the experts." he said and they heard four taps, five and then four more and he watched as the older man nodded, with a bemused smile on his face at that. **_"I get that,_ and y** ** _oung man, you keep it up in getting smart with me like this, right now."_**

 ** _"And you're going to be in serious trouble yourself, so stop playing the radio right now."_** he added gently and Wesley chuckled as he answered him. "Maybe, or maybe not, but that's last message until I'm in another area. So it's going on radio silence now, so I'll get back to you later now, Sir." he said to him then as he heard two taps, followed by three more and watched as the trio hid a smile at that remark.

As he heard Geordi decode that last message then. **_"I'll take that one for a 'maybe and maybe not Sir, but that's the last time. That you hear from me like this until I'm under cover, so going on radio silence now. And I'll get back to you guys later now, Sir.'."_** Geordi said to him and he nodded in agreement to his remark at that. And Wesley saw him hiding a smile as he forwarded the message to Will at that.

And with him, the guards in the hall then as he said it. ** _"What did he just tell you regarding this if you're saying that, Sir?"_** Dayton said to him and he explained that to them, and Wesley could see a bemused smile on his face as he answered him. ** _"If we, or whoever he's stalling for, catches Hanson in the hallway. And after this switches directions, if he's planning on taking a resting break after this."_**

 ** _"And while we look for him, and after we just sent Hanson in the bed, he's armed and possibly intoxicated. And he's being placed under arrest and dragged to sickbay for another detox right now, if he did it this soon. After the last one, and that's a really good idea at the moment as well. And as to why, it's because phasers and drugs don't mix, if he's drunk and he's got a phaser."_**

 ** _"And someone is going to get shot after we had one injury in this and we don't need anymore so with that in mind. It's the security crew are keeping an eye out for him as well if he tries to get involved right now as well. And it's getting dangerous enough at the moment right now anyway. And without adding an inexperienced training ensign right now to the search and he's intoxicated."_**

 ** _"Alright Lieutenant Porter, stay in his quarters in case he tries to double back, and everyone else. In case we have a disobedient training ensign get involved even though we already told him to get to bed right now. You're on watch for two teenagers right now, one being Crusher himself and the other. Is Cadet Hanson, I'm calling out a true medical arrest in his case now Lieutenants."_**

 ** _"Anyone catches him in the hall he's being arrested for it and I'm not kidding young man try it tonight after we sent you to bed. And you're ending up getting arrested yourself, this search is getting dangerous enough without anyone getting hurt. So I'm making it very clear, try to disobey direct orders and you're losing your shot at promotion."_ ** he said and Wesley watched the duo nod to the order.

 ** _"Everyone in place right now?"_** he heard from Deanna and he heard four confirmations and he grabbed his notebook then and a pen as he waited. ** _"Alright who's where exactly?"_** Beverly said and he heard from Greyson first. ** _"My unit is in lounge 1."_** he said and they heard from Porter. "My team has sickbay, Bates's unit is in ten forward and Roberts are lounge 2, but Doctor we got to get MacGregor out of it."

"He's already caused enough problems so I highly recommend you post him to guarding the transporter rooms here. Just so this doesn't get any worse, after Shimoda just barely knocked himself unconscious by screwing around with the shield in engineering, earlier." he said and he knew she nodded. **_"Alright, Lieutenant MacGregor, your team is guarding the transporters starting now, but stay clear of him now."_**

 ** _"If he comes out into the open and lieutenants Bates, Greyson and Roberts, your job is keeping an eye out for him. And to repeat the captain's remark, you catch Cadet Hanson in the hall, arrest him and take him to sickbay."_** she said and he knew the group nodded as he wrote down the information then. As he waited for the clue breaker and tension release as he got it in the next remark at that.

"Great so what's next, wait check that, I take it back." he heard from Davidson as they heard a loud clang at that. **_"You had to ask, don't you remember what he said, every time we get rhetorical the system starts getting smart with us. Do you want the sound effects to keep up right now at the moment. Or just dial it down so the members of the crew that aren't on duty can sleep right now."_**

 ** _"Now can it already with the rhetorical questions alright now."_** Wesley heard from O'Brien over the radio then. **_"For gods sakes young man is the added sound effects really necessary right now at the moment. Because this is getting ridiculous, kiddo, so stop playing with the radio please."_** he heard from Bates in an add on, as he heard two taps and then a clang in answer to that as Wesley smiled at that.

"I'll stop for a while, but it gets started a second time, once I reach where I'm spending the night, Lieutenant." he said and it tapped out the next message and Porter chuckled at that as he said it. "I think he just said that he'll stop for now, but it gets started again once he's relocated again to wherever he's planning on hiding next at the moment." he said as they heard two taps and then three more to confirm his thoughts then at that.

And he watched her as she lowered her head. ** _"My god this is getting ridiculous, and kid stop playing with us like this. Would you please, now enough with the radio games now."_** Goldberg called out over the radio to that. "Nope, not yet, Rick, you want this turning into radio games and I'll do that. But like I said, every time you give the system ideas and she starts getting smart with you, so cool it already now."

"With the rhetorical questions and stupid remarks or that's going to keep up right now, so time to call it quits." he said to him then and he heard the system say it in morse code and Will translated that _. **"Nope not yet Rick, but you want radio games and I'll do that, but like I said before, every time you give the system ideas. And she starts getting smart with you, so you better cool it** **now with that."**_

 ** _"With the rhetorical questions and stupid remarks or that's going to keep up right now, so time to call it quits, right now.'. Yeah and I could say the same thing about you kid, because these games with the radio. The sound effects and the magic disappearing acts are growing a little thin on our nerves. So stop playing with us and pull it over."_ ** he said to him, bemused and he chuckled at that.

As they heard a third in answer to that. ** _"If I was a teenager I'd be finding this funny right now, if it wasn't for the fact my kid is draining his reserves. And that dose won't last long, at the moment and again, kiddo. That's enough of this already, so stop playing with the radio now, young man, I mean it."_** Will said to him gently and Wesley nodded as he hid a smile as he answered him.

"Yes Sir, I'll stop now, but like I said, every time you give the system ideas and she starts getting smart with you. So unless you want the sound effects. You better can it with the rhetorical questions." he said and they got another two taps and then three more, and then a final four in answer to that and he shook his head, bemused as she looked up at Will then. **_"What's that one mean exactly?"_** she asked and he explained that.

 ** _"He said "yes Sir, I'll stop now, but like I said, every time you give the system ideas. And she starts getting smart with you. So unless you want the sound effects, you better can it with the rhetorical questions now, Sir.'."_** he said and they nodded then as he sighed with a bemused look on his face. **_"Now normally I'd be finding this funny in a training game, but this just shifted from practice."_**

 ** _"And straight to real and it's getting it out of control, but our oldest training cub is taking the games just a little too far right now at the moment._** ** _And you, young man, and I know you're listening to this right now. If you just heard our conversation, but you keep it up with the radio games or anything else. Right now with us and you're getting caged yourself, once we catch you finally."_**

 ** _"Later on, it's going on midnight and that dose you took won't last long, and you know that. So it's time to pull it over, now stop playing with us like this, if you're running on fumes. But you do realize the adrenaline is going to wear off soon enough, and along with the sugar rush. It's time to take a break, kiddo, time to rest, so time to take a break."_ ** he said and they heard a gentle tap at that.

And Wesley smiled as he left the fourth of the five cookies in the tunnel he was in by the grate door, followed by his initials on the wall right next to it. As he did several taps then to Porter. "I think the playful side when we were still together is causing him to act like this, if this explains why we found that bag. And it's gone barely five minutes later then..., hold on let me check the tunnel." he said as he heard him as he checked that.

"I found the other escape route, he came in through his bedroom grate and left through his mother's closet, as to how I know that. It's because there's a cookie from the MRE I opened sitting here and on the tunnel wall are his initials. Whatever this connects to I'm not entirely sure, but that's part of this scavenger hunt he decided on right now. Aside from that, I think the taps are his way of communicating with us in normal ways."

"I also think that the rhetorical questions are the reason we keep hearing that so every time we start getting rhetorical, and the system starts getting smart with us by doing that. Though the taps are his way of morse code just to talk to us now that he's not on the live transmission, Commander." Porter said into the radio and they heard the answering response from Will, as he said it with a bemused tone to him at that remark.

 ** _"Then everyone better can the rhetorical questions, because I don't doubt this is going to keep up though if he's changing directions, so be ready for it now."_** he said as Wesley looked around the corner of the tunnel to see them checking and then smiled and then went down two tunnels and was in 30 feet of the cross section to J-14 baker and stopped, before he sat down and throught it over then.

"Alright, they think Data is still unconcious right now, and in the lab at the moment, so they're not going to check the lab to see if I'm in there, let alone he's in there. But they never checked on him there to see if he's awake, so where to hide exactly?' he thought before he heard Dayton answer that one, as he said it over the radio. **_"I doubt he'd choose one of our quarters what with the fact everyone's looking for him."_**

 ** _"But the first to get hit were you, Sir, followed by Counselor Troi and then Doctor Crusher, the android gets deactivated. And immediately following that was by Lieutenant Worf, Commander La Forge and you getting affected captain. With 5,000+ places to hide right now it could take a while and especially with the system out of our hands and in his right now, so we got, going by this."_**

 ** _"15 hours until the system returns to our control, so seven hours nap and rest and then relocate somewhere else. With the seven of you out of your rooms and on the bridge or the engineering room, I'd choose one of your quarters to spend the night in."_ ** he said and Wesley smiled at the tip. 'Thanks pal, I'll do that, but Data is in the lab completing his modifications on the antidote to this right now at the moment.'

'My quarters are in enemy hands and I've got the others locked into the bridge and the engineering room..., yeah okay that definitely helps right now. Alright I get it, so spend the night in Data's quarters, tomorrow I relocate to Geordi's to have breakfast and create the third one, move to Deanna's, the captain next and then the commander. Yeah okay got it now, and time to move on.' he thought as he headed for Data's quarters then.

Just as he reached the halfway point he heard two meows and a purr come from the section leading into his friend's quarters and smiled. ** _'Is that you, kitten?'_** he thought, translating the noises to human wording and he chuckled as he answered the cat. "Yeah Spot, it's me, hang on I'll be there in a minute, girl." he said and he heard a gentle mew to that as he went to the grate leading into his friend's room and unlocked it.

Before he opened it and he heard a third mew and a gentle thump as he pushed it open and she walked up to greet him then. "Hey girl, good to see you." he said and she gave him a mew, before looking at the picture sitting on the bookshelf and he looked at it. And then smiled as he answered her. "Yeah that's me, your father is a friend and a surrogate family member to me." he said and she gave two mews and a meow to him then.

"Yeah, he sees me as an adoptive son, we've been together for several years." he said and she gave another mew in answer to that. "Lal lock the room down, I'm settling in for the night." he said and he heard a beep and the cat gave a mew. "Mew?" she asked and he heard a secondary beep and she turned her head at that as she did it again. "Mew?" she said and he heard another beep, before it started going back and forth.

Till he ended it as he tried to keep from laughing. "Alright girls that's enough of that." he said as she looked at him, before her ears started twitching then as she looked him over. "Mew, mew meow?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah I needed to heal a few injuries, so that's why I look like this, I need a bath in a bit." he said and she gave a second mew as she moved to him and rubbed her head against his gently and he smiled at that softly.


	9. 9: Secondary Programs And Checking In

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs tome and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Warnings: Like the last chapter, it's going to flick to Will's point of view, for a few minutes, before returning to Wesley's. And then after Wesley triggers a final alarm, it switches to Data's after that as he deals with the guard in the Crusher's apartment. And Wesley's rival after that, before doing the rest of the group.**

 **Chapter 9: Side Effects, Teenage Patients And Checking In**

 **Finishing Touches And Rest Breaks. Wesley's POV:**

"Data I'm settled into your quarters now, and the room's lock down at the moment, I'm safe, next orders." he said and he heard the android say it gently at that. **_"Alright you just settle in, I'm getting ready to do this now, but if you want to do one last coded message. And go ahead in the way you have been doing it, that's fine so go ahead, but it's enough we send out another clear two indications right now."_**

 _ **"But after that, once I get** **their attention, you use that to shower, eat and get some sleep, you done enough for one night. And you need to sleep off the epinephrine dose after that, but just do a secondary coded message. In regarding Hanson, because I doubt he's going to follow orders."**_ he told him and Wesley nodded as he answered him regarding that remark gently as he said it to him.

"What did the captain and Porter mean regarding Derek and his getting arrested once too often exactly, because trying it this soon, what's the said 'this' is exactly. That's something I need to know so we can get his orders taken care of. And before Derek not only puts himself at risk, but with him anyone else in the hallway right now?" he asked and he heard an annoyed tone enter the android's voice as he answered him firmly.

 ** _"Derek is under medical watch and light duty ever since he had a severe reaction, just short of a month ago to the stimulates and ethanol."_** he said and Wesley sat up straight at that remark. "Ethanol, he's been speedballing ever since Walters caught him and the guys arrested him when I took that head injury. And just after the riot in ten forward, so this is why Peter Hanson is giving me a tough time."

"He's ticked that you're keeping his cousin from coming to the academy, because you're trying to prevent his rumors from going all over the academy. And 2), so he doesn't collapse at the controls of his starfighter. And he's been arrested once too often. So to the entire crew, I'm their biggest distraction, because Charlie is filling in for me. And they're getting beyond aggravated that they have to keep arresting Derek."

"Yeah okay, you catch Derek in the hallway arrest him, if he resists, we're having Lal teleport him to sickbay. Lal could you keep track of Derek Hanson's communicator and his life signs. And once your father clears the first hotspot, said hotspot my apartment, you're to follow orders in order of the hotspots being cleared, okay." he said and he heard a beep and Spot meowed in answer to that and he chuckled to that.

 ** _"Affirmative Wes, I'll take care of it, but again, after you hear the alarm go off, I want you to take a shower, eat, take a sleeping pill and get some rest. My quarters are enough no one is going to lookm here because they think I'm deactivated right now. So for now we just take advantage of that right now, and with that in mind right now, as I'm your commander at the current moment."_**

 ** _"My orders are just that, you've done and gotten enough exercise for one night, I'll take it from here. Just get some rest, I'll see you in the morning Wes."_** he said and Wesley nodded. "Aye, and I'll see you tomorrow." he said and he heard a gentle smile in the android's voice. **_"See you tomorrow, pleasant dreams."_** he said and Wesley nodded smiling to that as they ended the radio call at that.

"Lal reset the clock, it's getting reactivated 1600 hours tomorrow after the public areas are clear, and with them, Lieutenant Eric Porter and Ensign Brian Davidson. Once this starts again tomorrow and they're clear, and it's another coded message. Directly to the search parties tonight as well as a warning to Derek now. So with that the said warning is as directed, but all personnel are to be on the look out for a disobedient cadet."

"Who, despite the orders given to him by his team leader and two superior officers, is on thin ice at the current moment. He tries to get involved and is inebriated, it's an automatic arrest and straight to sickbay." he said and he heard a gentle beep, and the cat meowed a second time and he looked at her smiling. "Alright, you got to keep quiet for the next portion, so no meowing, okay." he said and she gave him a purr at that.

"Alright Derek, Cadet Hanson, again, you even try to get involved in the search and you're getting arrested for it. But listen to me carefully: if I was really up to attacking someone head on would I be comming you by morse code right now. Before I deal with our adult counterparts, I know why you're determined to catch me yourself. And it's to show me up as the golden child in the eyes of the crew at the current moment here."

"But if I was really the inspiration to how I've been doing this so easily, that would get you killed or captured and to the adult crew that's a hindrance, rather than a help. And secondly I just learned the exact reason for why you're in this much trouble with the medical department. Less then a month after the previous reaction is it, well trying it this soon is too dangerous and I'm telling you now, that you get caught by my partner."

"Or the security crews and your chances at promotion are shot, especially for disobeying direct orders given to you by three superior officers. And one other thing, this is a medical situation my mother is calling the shots here, so even try to bring a weapon into this. If you do break orders and you're inebriated and it's getting you arrested for detox, immediately so fair warning cadet." he said and the code added the stern tone to it then.

"Alright, Lal, this next one is over the computers, the messages are on terminals in both my apartment, the bridge and the engineering room. And with it now, is it's a one way link in the visual mode, I can see them, so though they can't see me, it's they're still looking at the camera at the current moment. And knowing I'm on the other end of it right now, once this situation hits, it's by driving her nuts righ now, in to how.".

"It's because she can't find me right now, so with that in mind right now here at the current moment. It's another case of morse code, or in this case, Geordi is setting the computer to translate it when each message goes through. So it's morse code in the computer, but none of the noise, it's a gentle tapping on the computer screen now. And do the dots and dashes in the same way as well, on the computers we're using."

"And it's on your father's terminal as well, along with it directed to the computers in engineering and my quarters. They're going to be able to translate the noises this way, because this is in ship coding of the 20th century. There's a camera in every room, but if you have to, do a link to the terminal on the bridge, my computer in my quarters. And the main computer next to the reactor door in engineering in there now."

"So though they can communicate to me over the computer now and my responses are over the computer. As the system is is still on right now as we do this, but with you and me having control of the system. They don't know what I'm doing on my end as they're trying to figure things out into why I chose now to break computer or radio silence." he said and knew she got the message as he said it firmly then to quartet on the bridge.

"Alright here we go, hey guys, I'm over here." he said and Data's terminal on the bridge beeped at them gently to get their attention, and Geordi turned around at that as they exchanged looks at that. And knowing they realized he was on the computer then, as the four of them crowded around the terminal. ** _"Wesley, that you?"_** he asked and he answered him, before he could though he heard the operater say it, bemused.

 ** _"Well that's one way to go to radio silence, without all the noise at the moment."_** The operator said and they nodded as he read out the remark. **_"Looks like he thinks this works better then the amount of noise made, but if morse code doesn't work. Then he's got a back up and it's by computer terminal conversations."_** Geordi said, before Wesley answered him with a slight smile at that.

"Yeah it's me Commander and instead of the amount of noise a bit ago, with it going on midnight at the moment. I thought this was better right now in regarding things at the current moment right now. Because until morning, with it being passed midnight, and we got kids younger then me and my squadron on board. I'm doing them and their parents a favor by ending the noise tonight so they can get some sleep, right now."

"And especially in the current situation, when we have a newborn baby on board, as to that at the moment right now, Sirs. If we were in the 20th century and on the computer, then just consider this an email to someone right now. And I know your next question here at the moment is what's an email, Etana, well to answer that. It's like sending a hail to another spaceship, priority one message if the said message was urgent."

"Well, this message was semi urgent, but at the current moment, we're not talking about me right now. And with that, during your last conversation when Derek Hanson was asking questions and you let him have it by ordering him off the radio. That's what we need to discuss right now, with the message untraceable here at the moment. But I heard your irritated tone a bit ago, Captain, after you found clues in my apartment."

"In regarding to Derek Hanson, with the fact my back up plan is just getting started, I suggest that, rather then you looking for me. As I'm settled here, and you should worry more about your repeated offender patient right now. And especially if he disobeys direct orders at the moment here and with that. You disapproved of any under age drinking and he's ready to cross that line." he said and the remark tapped itself out gently at that.

Watching the sextet as they moved to the terminal at that as Geordi sat down down as he answered him then. As Picard said it gently, as he looked at the computer then, and he knew he was realizing he turned on the one way visual mode as he said it to him. **_"Whatever reason for choosing now to get in touch with us right now, I can hear the exhaustion in your voice, Wesley, so I've got the guards on watch."_**

 ** _"Wherever you are and like I said the second you leave the room, you're exposed right now, so how do expect to continue this. When once we realized the first mistake by not checking the tunnels connected to your quarters. And I know you heard our conversation?"_ ** he asked him, as Geordi typed that into the computer and Wesley smiled as he answered him with a bemused smile at that.

"I know that was a trap by leaving the radio on, you're hoping I'm going to slip up, but it won't work, my transmissions to you guys are all untraceable. So don't bother with trying to trace my whereabouts that way, or by tracing my emotions. Because all the bases are covered for the night, till I lift radio silence inside the ship. But with it at 0130 hours at night, it's passed everyone's bedtime, so I suggest you all take a break."

"And one other thing, with the fact it's remaining quiet until morning, it's going through 5,000+ places and the room has the AV mode turned off. Along with it being sound proofed as well, so never mind trying to trace me at the moment. And you can forget about tracing my emotions as well too at the current moment, Counselor. Because I also have my added helper blocking off the bio signals and anything else you'd use."

"So I suggest you worry about your recently activated cadet and his friends now, if they're the reason you are getting this concerned about me. But then I'm a medical prodigy with my mother a medical doctor, I know what to do to to end the reason I took cover in my quarters. And why you found the evidence all over the bedroom, but Derek Hanson never pays attention in medical and health class and with those words in mind."

"That's the reason for the added trouble, but if he's gotten himself arrested once too often I highly recommend, now. If they're trying to get glory for finding me finally, that you have the security crew keeping an eye out for him. So think it over, if I was ready to face you head on, would I be comming you from where I'm hiding. If I wasn't up to it and I needed to rest right now." he said and he heard a second beeped out remark.

Watching the trio exchange a quiet conversation, he watched his mother's programmed self as she looked at the CPU camera as she answered him at his question then gently. **_"From the way you sound right now, that dose and that adrenaline burst is just inches away from crashing right now, a very fresh surgery. And you been running, up and down the ship right now and since this started, so no."_**

 ** _"And with that it's either a severe rest break_** ** _or you're just trying to test Cadet Hanson at the moment._** ** _But come on now, if you're so exhausted you're on the edge of falling asleep it's time to call it quits right now._** ** _So that's enough of this now, so stop playing with us right now."_ ** she said and he smiled as he gave the final order out then as he looked at Data's terminal as he said it to his surrogate sister.

"Lal, activate a chess set on the main viewer and the ship scanner across from the pool table right now. Because I'm showing her in just how many attempts she's taken and blown since this started. And from crew quarters to every hotspot on the ship, the doors are locked, terminate the power on the Turbolifts, and force field. And on both ways out of engineering and out of the conference room, no ones going anywhere."

"But just keep the replicators going for food for the night and tomorrow until search resumes now. Emergency lighting tonight until the search resumes in the morning and second terminate the shield communicators. Just to prevent the search teams from blowing your father's cover, and force fields once he gets started in the search Derek. But put a shield up on your quarters, and if you have a way to block an empath."

"I need it right now." he said and a blue flash lit up the room as he heard a gentle remark from her as a subtitled question came over the computer terminal at that. Looking at her response, as he read her question to himself and he gently typed back. "At the moment, in our eyes: your father, me, Charlie, Robin and Jake. To us, you're a member of the junior crew, so that means with Charlie acting as a plant with them."

"Your father has you watching my back until we hit stage three of our plan now Lal, at the current moment, if we were the ship version to the academy squadron. It's your my wingman and partner with my other partner undercover. But the situation we're in is the no winner test, it's a matter of dealing with a foothold. Or whatever situation there is the opponent puts us into and with my being a computer expert, we can do this easily."

"But it's brains over brawns, so we can do this without violence." he said and he smiled at that as he gave the next set of orders then. "Alright all things ordered are to activate in five seconds, and execute orders in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..., now." he said and he heard another gentle beep to that. Before he saw the conn officer get up from his chair then, and went to check the trio of Turbolifts in the room and the conference room outer door.

Before coming back in and giving a shake of his head as he walked over to Picard and he didn't have to hear the words to know. He was telling them that everything on their deck had been turned off then. As he heard a firm response at that from Picard and knew that the entire group was now annoyed at this as he heard Picard say it for all of them. Looking up at the camera, Wesley knew he was looking directly at him then.

As he watched him as he leaned forward at that slightly over Geordi's shoulder with Beverly on his other side as Geordi said it for the four of them firmly. **_"I know you're on the other end of that camera right now, but that though the powers out. The terminal isn't, young man, you're really pushing the limit, now again. Stop playing with us, and pull it over right now, we're giving you one chance here."_**

 ** _"So enough with the games and pull it over right now."_ ** he said firmly and Wesley smirked at that. "As I said earlier, you chose a game to start a foothold on board my ship, so you want to play games, I'll play games. But it's pitting your superior battle strategy, through the people you possessed, against my technological superiority. My knowledge of the people you took control of, and the internal systems of the entire ship."

"You're studying a galaxy class ship through the people you turned into drones, and you think that's enough, well it's not. Not when I lived on this ship for 3.5 years and I know every nook and cranny, every bolt and weld in this ship. If you read the captain's thoughts then you know I'm in command training, but with that command training. Then comes the superior knowledge, of every passage way that's not used by normal crew."

"I'm a technician and pilot, so with that, how do you expect to win this, when you're tracing the ship routes through the people you turned into drones. And your target had lived his entire teenage life on board said ship and is a technician as well. So you think I don't know how to get around unseen, you better guess again, because I do. In fact the fact you chose now to do those conversations in front of the shafts at the moment."

"Only shows your desperation even more, regarding getting every single human or humanoid, over the age of 15. The enterprise is secured, guess again, because any teenager who spent their entire lives aboard said ship. Knows every conceivable way in how to avoid capture at the current moment right now. But do you know what the people who trained me said if you're a half scientist on your first solo, training turned real stint."

"Of a mission, it's 'there's dozens of ways to be caught, but hundreds more not to, if you take your time, plan out your moves, and don't jump the net too fast.'. Well that's what I'm doing, and in forty moves the last five hours since this game started. I've been avoiding capture because I've followed their advice and with that. The other act of aggravation in this situation, if you saw in my mentor's thoughts regarding self defense."

"Is I've decided to use a self defense training method and added it to the scenario, one of our countries employed the term goju, do you know what that means exactly?" he asked and he saw a questioning looks in their eyes and knew she didn't. "What it means is 'hard' and 'soft', but to base that with this scenario right now. But the acts of trying the hard way, it's by using physical muscles and trying reckles stunts, use of weaponry."

"Though the judges, once they're back to normal, are not going to tolerate that later, and pushing their limits until their luck snaps and they get arrested. The soft way, is by looking at it logically, look through ways this could be done, without a shot fired, and aside from a single injury. It's by thinking like your opponent, knowing them, out thinking them, and knowing ways to do it without it getting dangerous at the moment."

"And I know you're listening to this remark, Derek, but dodging a security team and heading for ten forward, do you take me for a complete idiot right now. Because I know she's got ambushes set up in every public area waiting for me right now. Which is why I'm not attempting that and instead created my own supplies, need a place to rest. Also taken care, and I'm settled, but in forty moves and five hours since this started now."

"But for players like you, it would two days theory, and five days practical to do this and you get arrested and the expansion goes through. But that's because you're thinking like an athlete, a soldier of Jack O'neill's caliber right now at the moment. But his motto, when he training our grandparents 267 years was 'think on your feet and think fast.'. Try that and you're go to blow it, which is why I was studying Daniel Jackson's motto."

"When at the academy, and his thoughts on this are 'every second counts, and just because the solution doesn't look like its there doesn't mean it's not. Just relax, concentrate and you'll find it now.' Which I did when I first started this after Pearson found my second message to the securit , but some situations. They have two options to choose from, others three, but this one it's not two or three at all, but four now.

"This is what that term means in regarding being half soldier/half scientist, 'Ju' the soft method is working. And I've managed to get by unseen this long, and the only indication you know where I am is when the alarm goes of. So with that, Etana, try all you want, but the only person winning this game is going to me, as to why. It's because without you having the thermal and motion sensors involved in the search here right now."

"It would take five days to a week to find me, and by that point you're arrested along with your accomplices. My crew is free of your programming and you're spending 20 years to life in a federation prison, for every charge you wracked up in this attempted incursion." he said as he saw the message appearing on the computer screen at Data's terminal, his mother's computer and the viewscreen in engineering then.

As he saw the annoyance and anger appear in Hanson eyes then. "Yeah just go ahead and let your anger become your undoing, as you get involved, inebriated and armed. And when caught in the act by Data, and dragged to sickbay, and the senior staff crew finds out later." he said as he watched Picard's eyes, and he knew that she was digging through memories of a time when they just met as she answered him through Picard.

"I may not be on board the main viewer talking to you right now, but I know what you just yanked out of his and the quartet's heads right now. And that includes Lieutenant Commander Sarah MacDougal, and this was a time before we all got the chance. In getting to know each other, our first month as a crew, but though slightly drugged. I had control of the entire system just to prevent any of the infected from killing us now."

"And by accident as well, if you just tore that memory out of their heads, then I know the answering response, is of you and the commander acting on the notion. Of being slightly stern in taking back control of the ship, but this time. There's no chance at that, because the forcefield on the terminal connected to the door into the control room. It's got a forcefield that's up to level ten, maximum stun." he said as she said it him then.

As Picard answered his response to Geordi's remark as he said it, as he injected a stern tone into his voice. **_"Alright young man as I said, you keep it up in getting smart with me and you're in serious trouble right now. Wherever you are, that's enough of this already, so stand down right now."_** he said sternly and gently answered him, knowing this was enough to infuriate her even more with his abilities.

What with the fact he locked her out of the system as he said it. "Well if that's enough to annoy you even more, I'm in across between the wargames with the Hathaway. And a scrimmage with the Borg last year and though I haven't seen your ship, yet now. You can't top my skills in this, because I've been in training since I was 15." he said under his breath as he answered him, as he said it and the computer repeated that remark.

"Well as I said with this situation coming to an end, Sirs, in regarding chase downs for the night. Though with my bunking down for the night so I can sleep off the adrenaline crash and the sugar rush. Maybe you should worry more about your repeat medical offender at the current moment. And, at the moment, answer this next question Sir, but how can you find me now, at the moment, for the next 16 hours till the clock runs out."

"And when 1) the tracking systems are down right now, you're locked out of the system. And 2) the search teams can't get passed the areas that are locked out of the search right now, and let alone that your security shields are deactivated until morning. But did you ever consider that now that the system's cut off to you at the moment. That it leaves my partner open, now that the weapon's ready to detox every infected ambush spot."

"With the tracking systems off and the doors all locked, and by the way the doors to every crew quarters on the ship are locked. As are every room that was set up in a ambush for me, the areas you're in. They're in lock down until the clock runs out, so no interference with ending your virus now, and as to why. Your guards are also on watch for Hanson, so my partner, now, has full reign of the ship at the moment now."

"Just to start ending your hotspots at the moment, and to begin ending that programming on your ambush parties, while dealing with your true patient. And it's because though the system detects thermal signatures, let alone bio signatures. Answer this other question Commander La Forge, how is that of any use, to you, any of you. Can track them when you have the sheep lead in trick to consider at the moment."

"And when the system is down till 1600 hours tomorrow afternoon, because until then the system is shut down. But what's also to consider right now at the moment here, is I could be anywhere and you wouldn't find me until the alarm's go off at the time. And with that is this right now Sirs, Counselor, mother, but did you really think. I don't know here in what you had planned right now, for me in this, when I saw your conversation."

"Regarding this and into why right now, that your planning to ambush me in those areas right now. At the current moment, so why do you suppse I never bothered to try and come out into the open, tonight. And instead I took cover in my quarters and not till it was done at the time do you get a signal that I was in there, but that's the thing now. at the moment, I was bagging up supplies and I found a place to sleep for the night."

"Right now, with it coming up at half past 1 in the morning, but come on, this is simple common sense when dealing with a foothold situation and behind enemy lines. With you on watch tonight at the current moment, but I played you in chess so much. I know what your plans are and I can avoid you easily, and with the fact that the area I'm in. Is now turned into a fortress and until I set off the alarms now, in here to let you know later."

"It's that you don't know where I am, and with every door locked in the halls, so how can you find me with it being empath proof and the system is down. In fact, how can you deactivate the shield, if that shield and the terminal connected to it. And the fields covering those doors right now, they are on at the highest charge there is. In the stun setting right now at the current moment, if you recall, during our last conversation."

"And before I decided on this mode to talk to all of you right now as well, so simply. That it was a memory my you blocked out from your long term memories, along with why I'm getting around this easily. And the other details my you blocked out when you turned them into drones, as to how and why. So come on, seriously, all of you, think it over into why I have it that high right now, everyone, I set my phaser on maximum earlier."

"And now I did the same with the forcefields, Etana, you may think you have every conceivable knowledge. Of the system, but everything that I'm using against you was another piece blocked out. And of the long term memories, that includes everything from leading into when I left. And even further back, I don't have to hear the words, they blocked everything that happened at the time back then, before I returned now."

"Because before the attempt started here its simple, you're working with the Cardassians, and Captain Maxwell killed close to 700 people. Just to prevent one attempt, you try again by killing the Klingon leader by turning Commander La Forge into an assassin. And then comes try #3, attempt a foothold, by turning my mentor into the first plant, and infecting my entire ship with your virus, it's not going to happen, Etana."

"But the Cardassians, Aldea with the fact you got a man that looks like the planet leader on board. And if Loffler is working for you, that's the entire conspiracy right now, but believe me, once I break your control on my crew. They're going to kill you and your accomplices for putting children at risk right now, lady, because to us humans. Though we're young adults, my friends and me, to the crew, the adult crew, we're still kids."

"To them you put children into a situation they never should have been put in, and the entire crew that watched us grow up. Or saw us in action, is going to kill you and whoever's working with you, especially the parents of the leader of the junior crew. But that's being a mentor and a parent, the parental instincts start going crazy after they're back to normal and see us in that condition." he said and he watched them swallow.

As he heard a sigh from Will as he went further then at the remark as said it to them gently. "And I don't have to hear the words right now Etana, because I know they blocked everything that happened. And from my final mission to the day we became a whole crew and our initiation at the time. But look at the chess board on the viewers right now, go on look at it Etana, your drones are locked out of the system."

"The computer is down, and as is the long range transmissions, so with that in mind now, no incoming calls to alert your drones. But out going and with it, though you can't get any incoming calls or alarms, to alert you to the fact I have back up coming in the morning. I can and you won't even know they're on board the ship by the time they do show up, as to why, it's because the computer is still in my hands until 1600 hours."

"That's tomorrow afternoon, so external sensors, internal, they're useless now until that clock had run out, Sirs. And finally, you're all locked into the areas you're stuck in right now at the moment. And with it, the wires connected to turning it off, they're covered with protective shields as well. And said shields are like the containment shields and are turned up to maximum, so even try to deactivate them, by the terminal next to it."

"Or get to close to the shield that's blocking off the control terminal to you, and the results are going to be what happened to you, Lieutenant. And with that now, is that I deactivated the power in those areas, leading into and out of the rooms you're trapped in right now. And you're also forgetting just exactly how I've been doing this so easily at the current moment as well, and you may think it's all me, right now everyone."

"But I'm not alone and it's because I have back up right now, as to how, the system is now self aware. It's been self aware ever the weeks leading into when I left for the academy, and in that time since then leading into the foothold. So if you as your programmed selves know this or remembered, you would have found that chip. And yanked it, but my you blocked it out of where I downloaded it and she's the entire ship."

"To answer the unasked question, to who is helping me, the voice you heard when you turned her to turn on the shields and give you control back. That's not the the normal A.I. doing the talking right now, oh no, and as to how that could be exactly. It's because back before I left, like five months prior to that at the time. Data and I decided to add Lal to the system after an emergency and I gave her a way to interact with everyone."

"If your memories don't remember this, then it's clear that my version blocked it out, because eleven months can make a difference in victory or defeat. To quote a famous character of the 20th century, 'Give me a minute, I'm good, an hour, I'm great, give me six months, and I'm unbeatable.'. In as to how, it's because when in depression, the people connected to your target forget these things easily, as for Lal, herself."

"Who is she exactly?, well Lal is Data's daughter, in terms of ages at the current moment if she and Data were human, he's going on 36, she's 18 to 19 years. And our junior crew, that is myself, and Ensign Kurland, we saw her as more than just Data's daughter, but a member of our trio. But if you'd been paying attention, you'd have noticed that you now had a case of teenage rebellion on board with the trio compromised at the moment."

"And she's my partner in this situation right now as to when I did it, added her to the system as well here, well we had her dowloaded into the system five months before I left. And she's now the computer A.I., in fact she's the enterprise now, so to her, with you, all of you, compromised right now. She's protecting me from you, our own people, until you're clean of the programming." he said and he watched the scared look come into their eyes and knew she was afraid of him then.

Watching the expression on their faces, he knew he just scared the heck out of her as he saw Will look at the control room terminal. And saw that the color shade of the forcefield had turned cherry red as he went on. "If you wanted to prevent this from turning into what it did, you'd have searched their memories and yanked the chip. And before the mission started, when you were sure that the ship was contained at the time here."

"Before you exposed yourself to me by the mistakes you made, but it's too late now in your case." he said and in response the door entrance started glowing cherry red and he went further. "Because like the force field on the terminal next to the control room and the control room itself. The field it's set on maximum so don't try it unless you want a repeater right now Lieutenant." He said firmly to them and heard a thunk at that remark.

As he saw Will looking directly at the camera at that remark. "Before you say it, it's too late Commander, I've been gone so long it's clear you forgot just how good I was at the time. During my training, but that remark on the site to site, was so I could get the drop on you, before you ambushed me in there, so when in a situation like this. You need every second, and every second counts, but with the clock on a 16 hour delay now."

"So your search for me is on a hold for ten hours until 1030 hours tomorrow morning and until the clock runs out. The only indication of my whereabouts is by the alarm going on, so I suggest all of you get some rest. Because as soon as the effects of that game give out its going to be like what the effects of recovery from recreational drugs. And it does to you, and what this scenario really is at the moment right now and with it, Sirs."

"With her having control of you is the fact it's reverted you, all of you, back to our first month as a crew. During that time I was the one in control and not till Data and I got the engines back online did you all realize I just saved the entire crew at the time. But let me tell you, in these situations once the virus or the toxic chemicals give out. And you're so exhausted, you're ready to fall asleep on your feet here at the moment and with that."

"I can see the sweat and exhaustion all over your face and bodies right now, it's clear that just being on drug induced high of endorphins. That by the time we clear you of the programming you're going to be sleeping for a week. So my suggestion for tonight is stand down, get some rest, because you need to lower your energy levels. And you need to rest until it's completely drained here." he said and Will said it firmly, but gently then.

 ** _"Damn it, Wesley come on, this is going too far right now, I know you're hearing me, now enough already right now. We get the last warning, but you don't need to push it this far, now come on, it's time for this to end right now, so pull it over."_** he said to him gently and he saw Robin turn to him at that as he saw the concerned look on Worf's face as he got the message as she answered him.

 ** _"What's that one mean exactly anyway?"_** he heard from Robin, and Will said it firmly, but with a gentle tone in his voice as he repeated Wesley's remark, his tone indicating that the search was beginning to try his patience. Knowing that if he'd been himself, he'd be taking this as any parent would at the time. Looking at the look on his face he saw him as his 29 year old self and knew he was sounding like he did.

Three years prior to that same situation, during the virus. ** _"The last time he saw me like this was during the memory the six of us forgot, that memory is connected to the control room over there. And with with it now is the fact he's making it clear, that this time, we seem to be stuck in a repeater of what this is. Which explains why he said that, just now, but he's now decided to call off the noise."_**

 ** _"And is going to a language our ancestors used to use during situations like this, and he's decided to that, instead of the frequent noise. That we heard prior to this, it's a gentle conversation in binary code to us. But as there's only a select few officers that understand it, because it's part of the training. He's sending the message to me, the captain and Commander La Forge now."_**

 ** _"With everyone needing a chance to rest, he's calling a halt on the search for him, and suggests we focus on the fact that Cadet Hanson. With his just getting over the last reaction and if Hanson tries it again and disobeys orders. There's no getting out of the trip to sickbay for another detox right now. But to translate what he said and that was a serious indication in his tone right now."_**

 _ **"It's 'Well as I said with this situation coming to an end and, at the moment. Answer this next question Sir, but how can you find me when 1) the tracking systems are down right now, you're locked out of the system. And 2) the search teams can't get passed the areas that are locked out of the search right now.**_ ** _And let alone that your shields are deactivated until morning."_**

 ** _"But did you ever consider that now that the system's cut off to you that it leaves my partner open, now that the weapon's ready. Now, to begin ending that programming on your ambush parties, because though the system detects thermal signatures, let alone bio signatures. Then answer this other question Commander La Forge, how is that of any use, to you, any of you right now."_**

 ** _"And when the system is down till 1600 hours tomorrow afternoon, because until then the system is shut down. I could be anywhere and you wouldn't find me until the alarm's go off at the time. And with that is this right now Sirs, Counselor, mother, but did you really think I don't know you're planning to ambush me in those areas right now, at the current moment."_**

 ** _"But bagged supplies and I found a place to sleep for the night, but with the fact that the area I'm in is turned into a fortress and until I set off the alarm now. And you don't know where, so how can you find me with it being empath proof and the system is down_** ** _"_** he read out as Wesley watched as the quintet's faces changed and straightened up in shock at that as Will continued translating for him.

Watching his face, he knew that she was now getting desperate as he went on, as he listened to his tone, he knew that his version was relieved at that news. _**"Etana, you may think you have every conceivable knowledge of the system, but everything that I'm using against you was another piece blocked out. And of the long term memories, that includes everything from leading into when I left."**_

 _ **"And even further back, I don't have to hear the words, they blocked everything**_ ** _that happened. And from my final mission to the day we became a whole crew and our initiation at the time. But look at the chess board on the viewers right now, go on look at it Etana, your drones are locked out of the system._** ** _The computer is down, and as is the long range transmissions,_** ** _no incoming calls."_**

 ** _"But out going and with it, t_** ** _hough you can't get any incoming calls or alarms, to alert you to the fact I have back up coming in the morning. I can and you won't even know they're on board the ship by the time they do show up. Because the computer is still in my hands until 1600 hours tomorrow afternoon, so external sensors, internal they're useless until that clock had run out, Sirs."_**

 ** _"And finally, you're all locked into the areas you're stuck in right now at the moment. And with it, the wires connected to turning it off, they're covered with protective shield. And said shield is turned up to maximum, so even try to deactivate it, by the terminal next to it._** ** _"_** he said as he finished the remark Wesley had given to them as his tone changed at that information then as he refocused.

 ** _"Or get to close to the shield that blocking off the control to you, and the results are what happened to you Lieutenant. And with that that I deactivated the power in those areas, leading into and out of the rooms you're trapped in right now. And you're also forgetting just exactly how I've been doing this so easily at the current moment, and you may think it's all me, right now."_**

 _ **"But I'm not alone a** **nd it's because I have back up right now, as to how, the**_ ** _system is now self aware. And if you as your programmed selves know this or remembered, then you would have found that chip and yanked it. But my you blocked it out of where I downloaded it and she's now the entire ship."_ ** he read out, before the shift in his tone made it clear then he finished that remark.

 ** _"So with that in mind right now, Lal set up force fields on all areas_** ** _not directly related to the search.'."_ ** he read out and they exchanged looks at the name as he looked at the door at that and tried to figure it out then. And Wesley knew he knew he realized what she did wrong then as he said it to him then at that remark. 'Lal who is that exactly if he's able to pull this off so easily right now.' he saw in their eyes at that.

As he answered her question firmly at that as he said it, as he looked at the terminal across from him and he saw her smiling at him the morse code beeped out the answer and Will quickly translated the answer to their unasked question, and knowing this scared her even more as he answered her then. As he looked around for the invisible accomplice and Wesley knew that she didn't realize that she was in the system.

 ** _"To answer the unasked question, Lal is Data's daughter, and we had her dowloaded into the system five months before I left. And she's now the computer A.I., in fact she's the enterprise now, so to her, with you, all of you, compromised right now._** ** _She's protecting me from you, our own people until you're clean of the programming."_ ** he read out as he looked at the panel then.

And saw the color twinge a light cherry red at that as he went further in translating his message then, as the entire group in all three areas exchanged looks at that new information. " ** _While the pawns in the hallways are now dealing with the system going on radio silence right now._** ** _That forcefield is at level ten, maximum stun ladies and gentleman, so don't bother, because as you know that level. "_**

 ** _"Is enough to knock someone unconscious, and I believe you already got my last message as well. That I don't want to hurt anyone and with that in mind, everyone, until you're clean of the programming, I'm not taking chances and this search and game is going on._** ** _And until the hotspots needed are decontiminated of the programming of your game, Etana."_**

 ** _"But have a look at the board and you're seeing in just how many moves, right now, that you tried to catch me and they all failed at the moment right now as well too. And again, answer this if I was really up to facing you head on tonight, would I be comming you again to keep this up._** ** _Or just to let you know that I'm taking a 9 hour break_** ** _and things start again at 0900 hours tomorrow"_**

 ** _"So keep that in minda nd if you're trying to trace this call through me, don't bother, my quarters are empath proof. As well as the A/V mode is turned off right now, but do you remember the first thing now. That you taught me, 1) if the people compromised are the ones that trained you, alter strategies and you never get caught. 2) if the enemy has one area blocked, take another."_**

 ** _"3) parent a medical doctor, of both normal and rehab, then use what they used for you in home medical care, especially when sickbay is in enemy hands. 4) they don't give you enough time to prepare for it, then improvise and finally and most importantly. 5) if the enemy has a trap and ambush set up in the areas needed for rest and food, and you're beyond worn out."_**

 ** _"Create your supplies elsewhere and settle where they think is a no go, because they think that that the only resident android is deactivated. And for the record, if you were really that smart right now, when you checked my quarters a bit ago, then you'd have checked the tunnels, both sets of tunnels. And the ones leading into the parent of your target's bedroom, but it's obvious you're not."_**

 ** _"Or with your determining I was listening in, you'd have looked straight up when discussing this. When in engineering at the time, but a smart officer plans their moves out. And in forty moves in this manhunt,_** ** _but your primary pieces are boxed in and are about to be neutralized._** ** _While the pawns in the hallways are now dealing with the system going on radio silence right now."_**

 ** _"And there's no way out of the rooms you're in as well, because the door opening leading into the reactor core. It's also being activated right now, Commander, Lieutenant, Commanders MacDougal, and Jenson."_** he said and in response the door entrance started glowing a dark cherry red and he went further then, as his eyes narrowed in a stern look at that as he finished his remark then.

 ** _"Like the force field on the terminal next to the control room_** ** _and the control room itself. And it's set on maximum, so don't try it unless you want a repeater right now, Lieutenant."_** he said and he looked at him firmly, as he looked directly at the camera at that. "If your minds, Sirs, Commander, Lieutenant, are drawing up the scenario now, of this particular situation and the last time it happened. Then you ought to know that when drugged, like you are, I can come up with 4 good ideas in 2 hours."

"But when thinking straight, like I am now right now, then you better stay out of my way, because I can come up with thirty good ideas that all make it next to impossible. For you: Sir, Commander MacDougal, Lieutenant Shimoda, to take back control of the ship. But I know she's just dug that memory out of the memories that you, my you, were hiding from her right now at the current moment and with that in mind now."

"It's that this situation being re-enacted right now everyone is actually the day we got infected by a virus, and to prevent anyone of the infected from accidentally killing us. I took control of the control and set up that forcefield on the door, and as you said, Commander, it's thatno matter how much he wants me to get reckless. Then it's not going to happen now, you're all drugged and a threat to the entire federation right now."

"So if that virus gets off the ship and its going to infect the entire federation, so I'm taking measures to make sure it can't, but this you. It's she's using you to cause a foothold on the ship, is this you is the you from before we all got to know each other. And you were trying anything you can to bring down the forcefield, to get the engines working again, this time you're the irrational one, I'm the person thinking straight."

"But an issues of being behind enemy lines and you're recovering from a very fresh case of triage is hunger and exhaustion. And I know that trying it this long right now, it's enough to wear you out, but again. I'm not the one suffering from an endorphin high because they're screwing around with addictive video games that. From extended use, are meant to deprive you of your need for rest and food at the moment, so with that."

"That's why all of you are confined to the areas you're in and the every computer in the control room and on the bridge are now locked out of your grip. As are the hyperdrive engines, this is a medical level V quarantine, meaning no one is going anywhere if they're compromised. And until clean of the virus, makes yourselves comfortable, because you're getting that rest break either way." he said to them gently to finish it.

Seeing the look on Will's face as he finished the translating that, he knew the remark was about to be reversed as he answered him then, before he could though he added one last remark to it. "Before you say it, I'm already planning on getting some rest, and chance to get some real food into me. But I'm taking these 9 1/2 hours to rest and eat, before things start a second time now." he added and Will sight as he answered him.

 ** _"Look, we get it, but at the moment, what levels from the adrenaline and sugar you took in are going to wear off soon enough._** ** _And I can hear the exhausted tone in your voice, even though this is in code, so it's time for this to end right now."_ ** he said gently and Wesley answered his remark as he said it then. "Yes and at the moment you need to lower your metabolism so you can recover yourself, for me."

"There's no use tracking me, because all the bases are covered now, and things start again tomorrow 0930 hours everyone. And that's when the radio silence ends so don't bother trying to turn off anything or rewire, because I've got the areas focused on that on that same electric charge. Also the system is on for getting something to eat, but the only orders she's taking from you from now until the timer ends are for food."

"So don't waste your time in trying to order her to unlock everything, because she's not going to do it. As she's been given specific orders by me, to never listen to you when programmed and she's an android version of the junior crew. So a case of teenage mutiny, both in the organic and the synthetic junior crew now, starting now." he said as he gave the kill transmission gesture to her and she turned it off then at that.

As he listened to him trying to get him back on line at that gently. "For crying out loud you're wasting your time, I'm not answering you, this conversation is over." he said as he heard Picard try then and he sighed. "Well if that's not desperate nothing is right now." he said and Spot gave a meow of agreement then. "Yeah I kind of figured you were going to agree with that remark girl." he said and she gave a purr to answer him then.


	10. 10: Decoys, Exposed And Reunions

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs tome and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Warnings: For this chapter it's switching to Picard and Will's point of view as they try to deal with his next moves on their chess game then**

 **Chapter 10: The Secondary Transmissions**

 **The Bridge And Engineering-Picard And Riker's POV**

 **The Bridge-Picard's POV:**

"I don't know about you, but these games are wearing thin on my patience, it's been radio games all night right now. So just what is he up to exactly, if Porter found that cookie in the shaft, in my apartment. It's been close to another hour since we found that indication so what now exactly." Beverly said and Picard nodded, just as he was answering her, they heard a gentle message in morse code beeped out then.

Holding up his hand, he hid a sigh of annoyance as he realized that Wesley was sending a message to his latest trainee then. "Lovely, despite direct orders given, Cadet Hanson is going to try and disobey direct orders given to him. And by me, you, Ensign Dayton, and Lieutenant Porter." he said and Dayton looked at him at that remark. "What's he saying if you're saying that, Sir?" he asked and and he translated the message for them.

"The message to Cadet Hanson, regarding the fight earlier is, ** _'Derek, Cadet Hanson, again, you even try to get involved in the search and you're getting arrested for it. But listen to me carefully: if I was really up to attacking someone head on would I be comming you by morse code right now. Before I deal with our adult counterparts, I know why you're determined to catch me yourself."_**

 ** _"And it's to show me up as the golden child in the eyes of the crew at the current moment here. But if I was really the inspiration to how I've been doing this so easily, that would get you killed or captured. And to them, the adult crew that's a hindrance, rather than a help, and secondly. I just learned the exact reason_** ** _for why you're in this much trouble with the medical department."_**

 ** _"Less then a month after the previous reaction is it, well trying it this soon is too dangerous and I'm telling you now, that you get caught by my partner._** ** _Or the security crews and your chances at promotion are shot. And especially for disobeying direct orders given to you by three superior officers. And one other thing, this is a medical situation, my mother is calling the shots here."_**

 ** _"So even try to bring a weapon into this, if you do break orders and you're inebriated. And it's getting you arrested for detox, immediately so fair warning cadet."_** he read out and they nodded in agreement to that warning. "I really don't blame him for that remark, but at the moment, he's right, trying to arrest him. If he was the source of his inspiration, would result in Hanson's getting captured. Or killed, and that's a hindrance to us right now as well." Geordi said and Picard nodded in agreement.

Just as he was answering they heard a beep at that. "You hear that?" Geordi asked and they nodded, as they heard it a second time. "Where's it coming from exactly." Beverly asked as the terminal right behind them suddenly turned itself on. As it beeped a third time at them to get their attention. "Hey guys I'm over here.'. Alright, where exactly is here, Wesley?" Geordi asked and in answer to that, he heard a fourth beep at that.

And he turned around at that as Data's terminal was suddenly on then. "What the heck, what's his terminal doing on right now?" The operator said, switching places with the other man. "I'm not sure, but look." Geordi said to him and he moved to the chair and sat down as he read a small sentence out loud. **_"Hey guys, I'm over here."_** Geordi read out and they exchanged looks as he sat down at that as he answered him.

"Wesley, that you?" he asked and a minute later a second remark, it's tone bemused at the question, as it answered him, as they exchanged looks at this. As he answered his question, exchanging bemused looks with the trio and the added duo in the room. The operator said it for all of them with a bemused smile at this. "Nice touch, instead of using the viewer, he's talking to us, by using whatever A.I., took control of the system."

"Well that's one way to go to radio silence, without all the noise at the moment." The operator said and they nodded as he read out the remark as they exchanged looks at the message. "Looks like he thinks this works better then the amount of noise made, but if morse code doesn't work. Then he's got a back up and it's by a computer terminal for conversations." Geordi said as he read his answer out loud then to the group then.

" ** _Yeah it's me Commander and instead of the amount of noise a bit ago, with it going on midnight at the moment. I thought this was better right now in regarding things at the current moment right now. Because until morning, with it being passed midnight, and we got kids younger then me and my squadron on board, I'm doing them and their parents a favor by ending the noise tonight."_**

 ** _"So they can get some sleep, right now, and_** ** _especially in the current situation, when we have a newborn baby on board, as to that at the moment right now, Sirs. If we were in the 20th century and on the computer, then just consider this an email to someone right now. And I know your next question here at the moment is what's an email, Etana, well to answer that."_**

 ** _"It's like sending a hail to another spaceship, priority one message if the said message was urgent._** ** _Well, this message was semi urgent, but at the current moment, we're not talking about me right now. And with that, during your last conversation when Derek Hanson was asking questions. and you let him have it by ordering him off the radio, t_** ** _hat's what we need to discuss right now."_**

 ** _"With the message untraceable here at the moment, but I heard your irritated tone a bit ago, Captain, after you found clues in my apartment._** ** _In regarding to Derek Hanson, with the fact my back up plan is just getting started, I suggest that, rather then you looking for me. As I'm settled here, and you should worry more about your repeated offender patient right now, then me."_**

 ** _"And especially if he disobeys direct orders at the moment here and with that you disapproved of any under age drinking and he's ready to cross that line."_** Geordi read out and he sighed in a bemused tone, as he exchanged looks with them, as Picard said it for the three of them. "Answer him, this way I can determine whatever he's planning next with him at the computer." he said and Geordi nodded to him gently.

As he tried to focus on the fact that though not physically present, he was talking to him as if he was in the room and then realized it. "The camera feed is one way, so he can see us, but we don't know if he's on the other end or not." he said and they nodded as he said it gently to him. "Whatever reason for choosing now to get in touch with us right now, I can hear the exhaustion in your voice, Wesley, so I've got the guards on watch."

"Wherever you are and like I said the second you leave the room, you're exposed right now, so how do expect to continue this. When once we realized the first mistake by not checking the tunnels connected to your quarters. And I know you heard our conversation?" Picard asked and the next message came out, and he heard an amused smile in the tone as he answered him as Dayton hid a chuckle at the tone then.

 ** _"I know that was a trap by leaving the radio on, Captain, you're hoping I'm going to slip up, but it won't work. My transmissions to you guys are all untraceable, so don't bother with trying to trace my whereabouts that way. Or by tracing my emotions, because all the bases are covered for the night. Till I lift radio silence inside the ship, but with it at 0130 hours at night."_**

 ** _"it's passed everyone's bedtime, so I suggest you all take a break, and_** ** _one other thing, with the fact it's remaining quiet until morning. It's going through 5,000+ places and the room has the AV mode turned off. Along with it being sound proofed as well, so never mind trying to trace me at the moment._** ** _And you can forget about tracing my emotions as well too_** ** _at the current moment."_**

 ** _"Counselor, because I also have my added helper blocking off the bio signals and anything else you'd use._** ** _So I suggest you worry about your recently activated cadet and his friends now, if they're the reason you are getting this concerned about me. But then I'm a medical prodigy with my mother a medical doctor, I know what to do to to end the reason I took cover in my quarters."_**

 ** _"And why you found the evidence all over the bedroom, but Derek Hanson never pays attention in medical and health class and with those words in mind._** ** _That's the reason for the added trouble, but if he's gotten himself arrested once too often I highly recommend, now. If they're trying to get glory for finding me finally, that you have the security crew keeping an eye out for him."_**

 ** _"So think it over, if I was ready to face you head on, would I be comming you from where I'm hiding, if I wasn't up to it and I needed to rest right now."_** Geordi read out and they looked at each other at the question then, as he looked at the trio, they exchanged looks as he said it. "His tone sounds so exhausted he's on the edge of falling asleep right now, but one jolt, he took a epinephrine dose. After getting a fast snack and something that had a high content of sugar and another stimulate in it."

"And he's just drained that dose by climbing to wherever he's taking cover in for tonight, so no, he's not up to it." he said softly to her and they nodded. "I think it's clear whatever energy burst after his playing around with the radio has worn off. But it's clear he's not up to going against several fully adult members of the crew, right now, Captain." Deanna added and he nodded as Beverly turned to the terminal as she answered him.

"From the way you sound right now, that dose and that adrenaline burst is just inches away from crashing right now, a very fresh surgery and you been running. Up and down the ship right now and since this started so no, so it's either a severe rest break. Or you're just trying to test Cadet Hanson at the moment, but come on now. If you're so exhausted you're on the edge of falling asleep, it's time to call it quits, right now."

"So that's enough of this now, so stop playing with us right now." she said and he heard a second beeped out remark. Before the lights suddenly went out at that and the conn officer sitting next to Dayton went to check the Turbolifts and the conference room door. Before coming back in and shaking his head as he said it. "Aside from replicators, the powers out all over the bridge, and there's a forcefield on the conference room door."

"The one leading off of the floor, so we can't get out of the room and your office is the only replicator. Next to the conference room we can use so we're stuck here till morning, though I don't doubt if he did us, then he did the same for the search parties. And the engineering deck as well right now Captain." he said as they saw a chessboard appear on the main viewer as he saw every move made and then saw the latest move then.

"I know you're on the other end of that camera right now, but that though the powers out, the terminal isn't. Young man, you're really pushing the limit, now again, stop playing with us, and pull it over right now. We're giving you one chance here, so enough with the games and pull it over right now." Geordi said firmly and the next remark had a smirk in the tone as he answered him then, as they heard a new shift in the tone.

 ** _"As I said earlier, you chose a game to start a foothold on board my ship, so you want to play games, I'll play games. But it's pitting your superior battle strategy, through the people you possessed, against my technological superiority. My knowledge of the people you took control of, and the internal systems of the entire ship, y_** ** _ou're studying a galaxy class ship."_**

 ** _"Through the people you turned into drones, and you think that's enough, well it's not. Not when I lived on this ship for 3.5 years and I know every nook and cranny, every bolt and weld in this ship. If you read the captain's thoughts then you know I'm in command training, but with that command training. Then comes the superior knowledge, of every passage way that's not used."_**

 ** _"By normal crew,_** ** _I'm a technician and pilot, so with that, how do you expect to win this, when you're tracing the ship routes through the people you turned into drones. And your target had lived his entire teenage life on board said ship and is a technician as well. So you think I don't know how to get around unseen, you better guess again, because I do, in fact the fact you chose now."_**

 ** _"To do those conversations in front of the shafts at the moment, o_** ** _nly shows your desperation even more. Regarding getting every single human or humanoid, over the age of 15. The enterprise is secured, guess again, because any teenager who spent their entire lives aboard said ship. Knows every conceivable way in how to avoid capture at the current moment right now."_**

 ** _"But do you know what the people who trained me said if you're a half scientist on your first solo, training turned real stint._** ** _Of a mission, it's 'there's dozens of ways to be caught, but hundreds more not to, if you take your time, plan out your moves, and don't jump the net too fast.'. Well that's what I'm doing, and in forty moves the last five hours since this game and situation started."_**

 ** _"I've been avoiding capture, because I've followed their advice and with that. The other act of aggravation in this situation, if you saw in my mentor's thoughts regarding self defense._** ** _Is I've decided to use a self defense training method and added it to the scenario, one of our countries employed the term goju, do you know what that means exactly?"_** he read out in response then gently.

And they exchanged looks, before they heard the answering response from him over the computer then. And knowing, he was explaining this to her directly through them as he read it out gently, his tone matter of fact. **_"What it means is 'hard' and 'soft', but to base that with this scenario right now. But the acts of trying the hard way, it's by using physical muscles and trying reckles stunts, use of weaponry."_**

 ** _"Though the judges, once they're back to normal, are not going to tolerate that later, and pushing their limits until their luck snaps and they get arrested. The soft way, is by looking at it logically, look through ways. This could be done, without a shot fired, and aside from a single injury. It's by thinking like your opponent, knowing them, out thinking them, and knowing ways to do it."_**

 ** _"Wthout it getting dangerous at the moment, a_** ** _nd I know you're listening to this remark, Derek. But dodging a security team and heading for ten forward, do you take me for a complete idiot right now. Because I know she's got ambushes set up in every public area waiting for me right now. Which is why I'm not attempting that and instead created my own supplies, need a place to rest."_**

 ** _"Also taken care of, and I'm settled, but in forty moves and five hours since this started now._** ** _But for players like you, it would two days theory, and five days practical to do this and you get arrested and the expansion goes through. But that's because you're thinking like an athlete, a soldier. Of Jack O'neill's caliber right now at the moment,_** ** _his motto, when he training our grandparents."_**

 ** _"267 years ago_** ** _was 'think on your feet and think fast.'. Try that and you're go to blow it, which is why I was studying Daniel Jackson's motto._** ** _When at the academy, and his thoughts on this are 'every second counts. And just because the solution doesn't look like its there doesn't mean it's not. Just relax, concentrate and you'll find it now.', w_** ** _hich I did when I first started this."_**

 ** _"After Pearson found my second message to the security, but some situations. They have two options to choose from, others three, but this one it's not two or three at all, but four now._** ** _This is what that term means in regarding being half soldier/half scientist, 'Ju' the soft method is working. And I've managed to get by unseen this long, and the only indication of you knowing where I am."_**

 ** _"Is when the alarm goes of, so_** ** _with that, Etana, try all you want, but the only person winning this game is going to me, as to why. It's because without you having the thermal and motion sensors involved in the search here right now._** ** _It would take five days to a week to find me, and by that point. You're arrested along with your accomplices, my crew is free of your programming."_**

 ** _"And you're spending 20 years to life in a federation prison, for every charge you wracked up in this attempted incursion."_ ** Geordi read out and Picard sighed as he answered him, before he could though, a second message appeared as he finished. ** _"I may not be on board the main viewer talking to you right now, but I know what memory you just yanked out of his and the quartet's heads right now."_**

 ** _"And that includes Lieutenant Commander Sarah MacDougal, and this was a time before we all got the chance. In getting to know each other, our first month as a crew, but though slightly drugged. I had control of the entire system to prevent any of the infected from killing us now. B_** ** _y accident as well, if you just tore that memory out of their heads, I know the answering response."_**

 ** _"Is of you and the commander acting on the notion, of being slightly stern in taking back control of the ship. But this time, here's no chance at that, because the forcefield on the terminal connected to the door into the control room. It's got a forcefield that's up to level ten, maximum stun."_ ** he read out and Picard crossed his arms as looked directly into the camera at his remark then at that.

As he said it with a stern tone at that as the four of them exchanged annoyed looks as Dayton hid a chuckle to the answering response. "Alright young man as I said, you keep it up in getting smart with me and you're in serious trouble right now. Wherever you are, that's enough of this already, so stand down right now." he said sternly and he got the answering response then to his remark as it was typed out over the computer screen.

Listening to the statement, through Geordi, he covered his eyes as the young man's remark translated itself as until the timer on the clock ran out. Than this situation wasn't ending until he decided that it would then as he sighed. Knowing then that the situation was starting a second time the following morning and with the computer. And sensors, out of their hands until that afternoon as he said it to him gently, mentally then.

'Wesley, come on now, it's been going on so long and I can tell you're beyond exhausted right now. That you're not going to get passed us with you this fatigued right now.' he thought as he listened to his declaration, and knowing then. That Will was thinking the same thing as he decided to let him try again to deal with the teenager then gently, knowing this situation was getting more aggravating, for both of them.

 **The Engineering Room-Riker's POV**

Hearing the stern tone in Picard's voice at that he listened to the answering response then as the monitor across from the pool table read it out. As he heard the teenager's voice as if he was standing there right now as he said it to him. And knowing whatever memory this connected to, it meant trying to reason with him. Then, was the same as the last try as he heard his voice through the beeps then gently as he answered him.

Listening to his tone, he knew the young man, though tired, was focusing on the problem at at hand then as he's answered his remark, his tone matter of fact as well, as Will translated it mentally then. 'God what did we force this kid into, if he's gone to this trouble just to drive her nuts while we're looking for him. Wes, come on, it's clear you're beyond exhausted right now, so enough now.' he thought as he heard his response.

As he heard the teenagers tone turn firm at his remark then as he answered him at his question. **_"Well as I said with this situation coming to an end, Sirs, in regarding chase downs for the night. Though with my bunking down for the night, so I can sleep off the adrenaline crash and the sugar rush. Maybe you should worry more about your repeat medical offender at the current moment."_**

 ** _"At the moment though, answer this next question Sir, but how can you find me now, at the moment, for the next 16 hours till the clock runs out._** ** _And when 1) the tracking systems are down right now, you're locked out of the system. And 2) the search teams can't get passed the areas that are locked out of the search right now, and let alone that your security shields are deactivated."_**

 ** _"Until morning, but_** ** _did you ever consider that now that the system's cut off to you at the moment. That it leaves my partner open, now that the weapon's ready to detox every infected ambush spot._** ** _With the tracking systems off and the doors all locked, and by the way the doors to every crew quarters on the ship are locked, as_** ** _are every room that was set up in a ambush for me."_**

 ** _"The areas you're in, they're in lock down until the clock runs out, so no interference with ending your virus now, and as to why. Your guards are also on watch for Hanson, so my partner, now, has full and comple reign of the ship at the moment right now. Just to start ending your hotspots at the moment, and to begin ending that programming on your ambush parties."_**

 ** _"While dealing with your true patient, and it's because though the system detects thermal signatures, let alone bio signatures. Answer this other question Commander La Forge, how is that of any use, to you, any of you. Can track them when you have the sheep lead in trick to consider at the moment._** ** _And when the system is down till 1600 hours tomorrow afternoon, because until then."_**

 _ **"The system is shut down, but what's also to consider right now at the moment here, is I could be anywhere and you wouldn't find me until the alarm's go off at the time. And with that is this right now Sirs, Counselor, mother, but did you really think, I don't know here in what you had planned right now. For me in this, when I saw your conversation,** **regarding this and into why."**_

 ** _"Right now, that your planning to ambush me in those areas right now, at the current moment. So why do you suppose I never bothered to try and come out into the open, tonight. And instead I took cover in my quarters and not till it was done at the time do you get a signal that I was in there. But that's the thing at the moment,_** ** _I was bagging up supplies and I found a place to sleep."_**

 _ **"For the night,** **right now, with it coming up at half past 1 in the morning, but come on. This is simple common sense when dealing with a foothold situation and behind enemy lines. With you on watch tonight at the current moment, but I played you in chess so much. I know what your plans are** **and I can avoid you easily, and with the fact that the area I'm in, is** **now turned into a fortress."**_

 _ **"And until I set off the alarms now, in here to let you know later,** _**_it's that you don't know where I am, and with every door locked in the halls, so how can you find me with it being empath proof and the system is down. In fact, how can you deactivate the shield, if that shield and the terminal connected to it. And the fields covering those doors right now,_** ** _they are on at the highest charge."_**

 ** _"There is, is the stun setting right now at the current moment, if you recall, during our last conversation. And before I decided on this mode to talk to all of you right now as well, so simply. That it was a memory my you blocked out from your long term memories, along with why I'm getting around this easily. And the other details my you blocked out when you turned them into drones."_**

 ** _"As to how and why, it's because we had this plan set up in advance, depending on how long it was before that chip was activated, till you did. So come on, seriously, all of you, think it over into why I have it that high. Right now, everyone, I set my phaser on maximum earlier. And now I did the same with the forcefields, Etana, you may think you have every conceivable knowledge."_**

 _ **"Of the system, but everything** **that I'm using against you was another piece blocked out. And of the long term memories, that includes everything from leading into when I left. And even further back, I don't have to hear the words, they blocked everything that happened at the time back then, before I returned now."**_ he read out then for the members of the group in the room with him then.

Before he continued, his tone shifting directions as he made it clear that he backed them into a corner as the chess pieces on the panel were being shifted around till they stopped as he read the next one. ** _"I don't have to hear the words, they blocked everything that happened at the time back then, before I returned now. Because before the attempt started here, its simple now, you're working with the Cardassians."_**

 ** _"And Captain Maxwell killed close to 700 people, just to prevent one attempt, you try again. By killing the Klingon leader by turning Commander La Forge into an assassin and then comes try #3,_** ** _attempt a foothold. By turning my mentor into the first plant, and infecting my entire ship with your virus, it's not going to happen, Etana."_ ** he read out as he heard an even more firm tone in his voice then.

As his voice took on a stern tone as he finished. **_"But the Cardassians, Aldea with the fact you got a man that looks like the planet leader on board my ship. And if Loffler is working for you, that's the entire conspiracy right now, but believe me. Once I break your control on my crew they're going to kill you and your accomplices for putting children at risk right now, lady, because to us humans."_**

 ** _"Though we're young adults, my friends and me, to the crew, the adult crew, we're still kids. To them you put children into a situation they never should have been put in, and the entire crew that watched us grow up. Or saw us in action, is going to kill you and whoever's working with you. Especially the parents of the leader of the junior crew, b_** ** _ut that's being a mentor."_**

 ** _"And a parent, the parental instincts start going crazy after they're back to normal and see us in that condition. Once the sextet are back to normal, they realize you forced me into a mission to prevent that thing from ending up in Starfleet. And they se me looking like this, as to why exactly, if you're the reason I'm feeling like I'm suffering from more than I think right now.."_**

 ** _"And it's enough that you twice more to try it, nothing is saving you or your accomplices from jail time."_** he read out and he felt the internal concern as he read out the rest of it as he realized it. **_"And I don't have to hear the words right now Etana, because I know they blocked everything that happened. And from my final mission to the day we became a whole crew and our initiation at the time."_**

 ** _"But look at the chess board on the viewers right now, go on look at it Etana, your drones are locked out of the system. The computer is down, and as is the long range transmissions, so with that in mind now, no incoming calls to alert your drones. But out going and with it, though you can't get any incoming calls or alarms, to alert you to the fact I have back up coming in the morning."_**

 ** _I can and you won't even know they're on board the ship by the time they do show up, as to why, it's because the computer is still in my hands until 1600 hours. That's tomorrow afternoon, so external sensors, internal, they're useless now until that clock had run out, Sirs. And finally, you're all locked into the areas you're stuck in right now at the moment a_** ** _nd with it."_**

 ** _"The wires connected to turning it off, they're covered with protective shields as well. And said shields are like the containment shields and are turned up to maximum, so even try to deactivate them, by the terminal next to it. Or get to close to the shield that's blocking off the control terminal to you, and the results are going to be what happened to you, Lieutenant."_**

 ** _"And with that now, is that I deactivated the power in those areas, leading into and out of the rooms you're trapped in right now. And you're also forgetting just exactly how I've been doing this so easily at the current moment as well, and you may think it's all me, right now everyone. But I'm not alone and it's because I have back up right now, as to how_** , **_the system is now self aware."_**

 ** _"It's been self aware ever the weeks leading into when I left for the academy, and in that time since then leading into the foothold. So if you as your programmed selves know this or remembered, you would have found that chip. And yanked it, but my you blocked it out of where I downloaded it and she's the entire ship."_** he read out for them and the computer and sighed at that mentally.

 ** _"To answer the unasked question, to who is helping me, the voice you heard when you turned her to turn on the shields and give you control back. That's not the the normal A.I. doing the talking right now, oh no, and as to how that could be exactly. It's because back before I left, like five months prior to that at the time, Data and I decided to add Lal to the system after an emergency."_**

 ** _"And I gave her a way to interact with everyone."_** he read out and they exchanged looks as the remark as the next message was written out then ** _. "Who is she exactly?, well Lal is Data's daughter, and we had her dowloaded into the system five months before I left. And she's now the computer A.I., in fact she's the enterprise now, so to her, with you, all of you, compromised right now."_**

 ** _"She's protecting me from you, our own people, until you're clean of the programming."_** he read out and they straightened up at that remark. 'Oh god, I forgot we even had her in the system at the time. Where'd we download her into the system and when exactly.' he thought to himself in shock as he heard the answering response to his thoughts as it appeared on the terminal in front of them at that silent remark.

 ** _"If you wanted to prevent this from turning into what it did, you'd have searched their memories and yanked the chip. And before the mission started, when you were sure that the ship was contained at the time here. Before you exposed yourself to me by the mistakes you made, but it's too late now in your case."_** he read out gently and in response to that remark on the computer then.

As the door entrance started glowing dark cherry red and he went further. ** _"Because like the force field on the terminal next to the control room and the control room itself. The field it's set on maximum so don't try it unless you want a repeater right now Lieutenant."_** he read out and that did it as Will slammed him hand on the table then, before he could answer him though at that, a final remark appeared.

As he heard in Wesley's tone, though over the computer, that he made it clear he wasn't giving in as he answered his unsaid remark then as Will looked at the camera as he went further at that. ** _"Before you say it, it's too late Commander, I've been gone so long it's clear you forgot just how good I was at the time. During my training, but that remark on the site to site, was so I could get the drop on you."_**

 ** _"Before you ambushed me in there, so when in a situation like this, you need every second, and every second counts, but with the clock on a 16 hour delay now. So your search for me is on a hold for ten hours until 1030 hours tomorrow morning and until the clock runs out. The only indication of my whereabouts is by the alarm going on, so I suggest all of you get some rest."_**

 ** _"Because as soon as the effects of that game give out its going to be like what the effects of recovery from recreational drugs. And it does to you, and what this scenario really is at the moment right now and with it, Sirs. With her having control of you is the fact it's reverted you, all of you, back to our first month as a crew, d_** ** _uring that time I was the one in control and not till Data."_**

 ** _"And I got the engines back online did you all realize I just saved the entire crew at the time. But let me tell you, in these situations once the virus or the toxic chemicals give out. And you're so exhausted, you're ready to fall asleep on your feet here at the moment and with that. I can see the sweat and exhaustion all over your face and bodies right now."_ ** he read out as the tone turned firm then.

As he realized he knew they were as exhausted as he was as he read it out as he said it to them with a stern medical tone in his voice then. " ** _It's clear that just being on drug induced high of endorphins. That by the time we clear you of the programming you're going to be sleeping for a week. So my suggestion for tonight is stand down, get some rest, because you need to lower your energy levels."_**

 ** _"And you need to rest until it's completely drained here."_** he said and Will said it firmly, but gently then, before he could though, he heard the finishing remark from Wesley then as he said it to him at that. The tone changing from a normal teenager to a medical prodigy. **_"You do realize I'm on the other side of this camera, and with your communicators active, they're also broadcasting your bio-signatures."_**

 ** _"Said signatures_** ** _are so erratic right now, that your serotonin levels are spiking out of exhaustion. Your blood pressures beyond normal, but entering hypertension, so it's clear you're all so exhausted, that, once free of the virus here._** ** _You're going to need to get some rest and sleep this off people, but right now you need to rest."_** he said and Will answered that firmly, but gently at that.

'We could say the same thing about you buster, because this has been going on so long right now at the moment here. I can hear the beyond exhausted tone in your voice right now, it's clear you're as exhausted as we are. But we're adults we can take care of ourselves, you're the one we're concerned about. So it's time for you just end this now, come on now, it's time to stop, son.' he thought softly as he answered him then gently.

"Damn it, Wesley come on, this is going too far right now, I know you're hearing me, now enough already right now. We get the last warning, but you don't need to push it this far, now come on, it's time for this to end right now, so pull it over." he said to him gently and he saw Robin turn to him at that as he saw the concerned look on Worf's face as he got the message as she answered him as she looked between the duo at that.

"What's that remark mean exactly?" she asked him and he sighed as he answered her as he felt like the version of himself when they met at the time then. As his memory tried to track down when, until it landed on the very first mission, and their rite of passage. As a new activated crew, three years prior then as he saw a young woman. With blond hair and blue eyes as part of their team along with himself, Geordi, Data and Worf.

As he answered her question then as he said it to her gently as he exchanged looks with Worf. "The last time he saw me like this was during the memory the six of us forgot, that memory is connected to the control room over there. And with with it now is the fact he's making it clear, that this time, we seem to be stuck in a repeater of what that is. Which explains why he said that, just now, but he's now decided to call off the noise."

"And with it he's decided to go with a different way to communicate which is going to a language our ancestors used to use during situations like this. And he's decided to that, instead of the frequent noise, that we heard prior to this. So it's a gentle conversation in binary code to us, so as there's only a select few officers that understand it. As its because it's part of the training at the time when earth was doing water based ships."

"He's sending the message to me, the captain and Commander La Forge now at the moment here. With the fact that the first half of that, of this conversation, was through the computer on the bridge for the quartet. While ours was in morse code at the current moment, while its being translated by the computer right now. With it being past midnight on earth and with everyone needing a chance to rest at the moment."

"It's he's calling a halt on the search for him right now, because he's not leaving wherever he's hiding for the night at the current moment. But audio/visual, thermal sensors on use of the equipment, and he's just added empath proof shields to wherever he's hiding, so no matter what we try. We don't know where he is until the alarm goes off, so he can rest, and with it, suggests we focus on the fact that Cadet Hanson."

"And his possible repeater, even though we told him to get to bed, looks like he knows he won't. With his just getting over the last reaction and if Hanson tries it again and disobeys orders. There's no getting out of the trip to sickbay for another detox right now, which is the reason he suggested keeping an eye out for Cadet Hanson. But to translate what he said and that was a serious indication in his tone right now as well too."

"In what he was telling us right now at the moment, as the terminals, the ones connected to the control room are on a hold till tomorrow afternoon. So the only indication he's giving of where he is, is when the alarm goes off each time. It's 'Well as I said with this situation coming to an end and, at the moment. Answer this next question Sir, but how can you find me when 1) the tracking systems are down right now."

"You're locked out of the system, and 2) the search teams can't get passed the areas that are locked out of the search right now. And let alone that your shields are deactivated until morning. But did you ever consider that now that the system's cut off to you that it leaves my partner open, now that the weapon's ready. Now, to begin ending that programming on your ambush parties at the current moment here."

"Because though the system detects thermal signatures, let alone bio signatures. Then answer this other question Commander La Forge, how is that of any use, to you, any of you right now. And when the system is down till 1600 hours tomorrow afternoon, because until then the system is shut down. I could be anywhere and you wouldn't find me until the alarm's go off at the time here now and with that is this right now."

"Sirs, Counselor, mother, but did you really think I don't know you're planning to ambush me in those areas right now, at the current moment. But I bagged supplies and I found a place to sleep for the night, but with the fact that the area I'm in is turned into a fortress and until I set off the alarm now. And you don't know where, so how can you find me with it being empath proof and the system is down." he read out for the group then.

As he went on, he felt his normal self being relieved that the young man taking measures to prevent her virus from getting off th ship as he continued translating for her as he went on. _"_ Etana, you may think you have every conceivable knowledge of the system, but everything that I'm using against you was another piece blocked out. And of the long term memories, that includes everything from leading into when I left."

"And even further back, I don't have to hear the words, they blocked everything that happened. And from my final mission to the day we became a whole crew and our initiation at the time. But look at the chess board on the viewers right now, go on look at it Etana, your drones are locked out of the system. The computer is down, and as is the long range transmissions, no incoming calls, no incoming communiques now."

"But outgoing starting now and with it, right now, is that though you can't get any incoming calls or alarms, to alert you to the fact I have back up coming in the morning. I can and you won't even know they're on board the ship by the time they do show up. Because the computer is still in my hands until 1600 hours tomorrow afternoon, so external sensors, internal they're useless until that clock had run out, Sirs."

"And finally, you're all locked into the areas you're stuck in right now at the moment. And with it, the wires connected to turning it off, they're covered with protective shield. And said shield is turned up to maximum, so even try to deactivate it, by the terminal next to it." he said as he finished the remark. 'Man kiddo, you really did think of everything, didn't you.' he felt his normal self thinking as he continued translating the message.

"Or get to close to the shield that's blocking off the control terminal to you, and the results are going to be what happened to you, Lieutenant. And with that now, is that I deactivated the power in those areas, leading into and out of the rooms you're trapped in right now. And you're also forgetting just exactly how I've been doing this so easily at the current moment as well, and you may think it's all me, right now everyone."

"But I'm not alone and it's because I have back up right now, as to how, the system is now self aware. It's been self aware ever the weeks leading into when I left for the academy, and in that time since then leading into the foothold. So if you as your programmed selves know this or remembered, you would have found that chip. And yanked it, but my you blocked it out of where I downloaded it and she's the entire ship."

"To answer the unasked question, to who is helping me, the voice you heard when you told her to turn on the shields and give you control back. That's not the the normal A.I. doing the talking right now, oh no, and as to how that could be exactly. It's because back before I left, like five months prior to that at the time, Data and I, we decided to add Lal to the system after an emergency and I gave her a way to interact with everyone."

"If your memories don't remember this, then it's clear that my version blocked it out, because eleven months can make a difference in victory or defeat. To quote a famous character of the 20th century, 'Give me a minute, I'm good, an hour, I'm great, give me six months, and I'm unbeatable.'. In as to how, it's because when in depression, the people connected to your target forget these things easily, as for Lal, herself."

"Who is she exactly?, well Lal is Data's daughter, in terms of ages at the current moment if she and Data were human, he's going on 36, she's 18 to 19 years. And our junior crew, that is myself, and Ensign Kurland, we saw her as more than just Data's daughter, but a member of our trio. But if you'd been paying attention, you'd have noticed that you now had a case of teenage rebellion on board with the trio compromised at the moment."

"And she's my partner in this situation right now as to when I did it, added her to the system as well here, well we had her dowloaded into the system five months before I left. And she's now the computer A.I., in fact she's the enterprise now, so to her, with you, all of you, compromised right now. She's protecting me from you, our own people, until you're clean of the programming." he read out and Robin looked at him in shock.

"Who is she exactly, he never told me we had another member of the junior crew on board the ship. When it was just him, me, Ensigns Dayton and Kurland and Cadet Hanson?!" she said in shocked amazement as he answered her question as he felt his own idiocy at the fact they forgot that she was still in the system. And they didn't remember where he is downloaded the chip and at what terminal as he answered her.

"Lal is Data's daughter, and we had her dowloaded into the system five months before I left. And she's now the computer A.I., in fact she's the enterprise now, so to her, with you, all of you, compromised right now. She's protecting me from you, our own people, until you're clean of the programming." he said for him and she covered her eyes as he went further at the remark as he felt his annoyance at the remark then gently.

"If you wanted to prevent this from turning into what it did, you'd have searched their memories and yanked the chip. And before the mission started, when you were sure that the ship was contained at the time here. Before you exposed yourself to me by the mistakes you made, but it's too late now in your case. Because like the force field on the terminal next to the control room and the control room itself right now, everyone.

The field it's set on maximum so don't try it unless you want a repeater right now Lieutenant. Before you say it, it's too late Commander, I've been gone so long it's clear you forgot just how good I was at the time. During my training, but that remark on the site to site, was so I could get the drop on you, before you ambushed me in there, so when in a situation like this. You need every second, and every second counts."

"But with the clock on a 16 hour delay now, and with it your search for me is on a hold for ten hours until 1030 hours tomorrow morning and until the clock runs out. The only indication of my whereabouts is by the alarm going on, so I suggest all of you get some rest. Because as soon as the effects of that game give out its going to be like what the effects of recovery from recreational drug use at the moment and what it does to you."

"And what this scenario really is at the moment right now and with it, Sirs, with her having control of you is the fact it's reverted you, all of you, back to our first month as a crew. During that time I was the one in control and not till Data and I got the engines back online did you all realize I just saved the entire crew at the time. But let me tell you, in these situations once the virus or the toxic chemicals give out."

"And you're so exhausted, you're ready to fall asleep on your feet here at the moment and with that. I can see the sweat and exhaustion all over your face and bodies right now, it's clear that just being on drug induced high of endorphins. That by the time we clear you of the programming you're going to be sleeping for a week. So my suggestion for tonight is stand down, get some rest, because you need to lower your energy levels."

"And you need to rest until it's completely drained here." Will said, reading out the entire message. "I can hear the exhaustion in his tone, he's as exhausted as we are right now, but then when this worn out. He's going to make a mistake sooner or later, and when he does that's our window right now at the current moment." O'Brien said, before the next message appeared on the monitor in answer to that remark gently.

Seeing the bemused tone in the remark, he sighed as he got what memory had been used for this situation then. As he read out the young man's response to his remark gently at that. "If your minds, Sirs, Commander, Lieutenant, are drawing up the scenario now, of this particular situation and the last time it happened. Then you ought to know that when drugged, like you are, I can come up with 4 good ideas in 2 hours."

"But when thinking straight, like I am now right now, then you better stay out of my way, because I can come up with thirty good ideas that all make it next to impossible. For you: Sir, Commander MacDougal, Lieutenant Shimoda, to take back control of the ship. But I know she's just dug that memory out of the memories that you, my you, were hiding from her right now at the current moment and with that in mind now."

"It's that this situation being re-enacted right now everyone is actually the day we got infected by a virus, and to prevent anyone of the infected from accidentally killing us. I took control of the control room and set up that forcefield on the door. And as you said, Commander, it's that no matter how much he wants me to get reckless. Then it's not going to happen now, you're all drugged and a threat to the entire federation right now."

"So if that virus gets off the ship and its going to infect the entire federation, so I'm taking measures to make sure it can't, but this you. It's she's using you to cause a foothold on the ship, so this you is the you from before we all got to know each other. And you were trying anything you can to bring down the forcefield, to get the engines working again, this time you're the irrational one, I'm the person thinking straight."

"But an issues of being behind enemy lines and you're recovering from a very fresh case of triage is hunger and exhaustion. And I know that trying it this long right now, it's enough to wear you out, but again. I'm not the one suffering from an endorphin high because they're screwing around with addictive video games that. From extended use, are meant to deprive you of your need for rest and food at the moment, so with that."

"That's why all of you are confined to the areas you're in and every computer in the control room and on the bridge are now locked out of your grip. As are the hyperdrive engines, this is a medical level V quarantine, meaning no one is going anywhere if they're compromised. And until clean of the virus, makes yourselves comfortable, because you're getting that rest break either way." he read out and sighed at that news.

"Great, that level is strong enough to knock someone out, it's like electronic version to the use of the hypospray syringes at the current moment. And he's right, but with the tables turned at the moment it's clear that it's just turned things. And the clock to that mission four years ago and Commander MacDougal and I were trying to get in there to the get the engines back online." he added and they nodded as he answered him firmly.

"Look, we get it, but at the moment, what levels from the adrenaline and sugar you took in are going to wear off soon enough. And I can hear the exhausted tone in your voice, even though this is in code, so it's time for this to end right now."he said gently and in answer to that there was a final message as he answered his remark. "Yes and at the moment you need to lower your metabolism so you can recover yourself, for me."

"There's no use tracking me, because all the bases are covered now, and things start again tomorrow at 0930 hours everyone. And that's when the radio silence ends so don't bother trying to turn off anything or rewire, because I've got the areas focused on that on that same electric charge. Also the system is on for getting something to eat, but the only orders she's taking from you from now until the timer ends are for food."

"So don't waste your time in trying to order her to unlock everything, because she's not going to do it. As she's been given specific orders by me, to never listen to you when programmed and she's an android version of the junior crew. So a case of teenage mutiny, both in the organic and the synthetic junior crew now, starting now." he read out and he quickly answered him, as hearing the tone, he realized he was ending it at that.

"Wesley, wait a minute, answer me, come on answer me." he said and when he saw no answering reply on the monitor he quickly said it to them. "I think our conversation just ended Captain, he's not answering my comms here." he said and he heard Picard try it then, before he heard a sigh as he answered him gently at that. ** _"Well, we just have to wait for that alarm to go off, so ship wide search now, Lieutenant."_**

 ** _"Everyone on standby in the public areas be on your guard, in case he comes in there right now. And lieutenant, aside from him, I want you to keep an eye out for Cadet Hanson for th night. In case he tries to get involved, despite the fact we all said to stay out of this anf get to bed. You catch him and he's inebriated, arrest him and take him to sickbay."_** he said and he heard several affirmatives.

"The terminals in here and in the control room are blocked out and we can't use the Turbolifts doors or try to leave to room through the reactor door. And getting into the Jeffries tubes either, so we're stuck right now." MacDougal said and he looked at her. "Are we sure that the entrance into the tubes is cut off here in engineering though, Commander?" he asked and Shimoda went to check and sighed as he looked at him.

"Yeah that's affirmative Commander, the Maitenance hatches leading into the Jeffries tubes are closed and the shield is covering them as well. So no way out and everyone not on stand by in every public area or searching the halls for him. Are locked in their quarters right now at the current moment, Sir, we have food and water. So we just have to wait it out till the search starts again in the morning." he said and Will nodded to him.

As they decided to work through where he was hiding and waited for the clock to run out. "Alright, we know, once the alarm goes off where he is, so we try to trace the alarms by the direction he's taking. And I think he's turning off the A/V in every spot he's in and placing up the whatever protection there is in regarding Counselor Troi as well. So we just trace the alarms, and wait for the timer to end." he said and they nodded to him.

As he hid a sigh, as he thought it gently at that. 'Kiddo come on, you're in no condition for this right now, it's time to quit now. So stop already, come on now.' he said to him softly as he waited till morning for the indication of where he was as they settled in and waited till morning then, as the bridge crew did the same thing and relax.


	11. 11: The First Stop And Medical Arrests

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs tome and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Chapter 11: The First Stop And Medical Arrests**

 **Final Plan Set Up- Wesley's POV:**

"Alright I'm done Data, so go ahead now." Wesley said and he heard an immediate response to that from the android gently. ** _"Wes, wait till I trigger the alarm from where I am, and then terminate any trace electronic usage from my quarters. That includes the showers in my quarters, after you take that shower, I want you to get changed, eat something and replicate a sleeping pill for the night."_**

 _ **"I'm going to deal with the areas that were set up, but at the moment you need to rest and save your strength for tomorrow, so with that in mind. Wait till I got them thinking you're in the medical lab, and I just lead them in a new direction. Before you get some rest and take tonight's dose with whatever was chosen for your dinner, understand."** _ he said and Wesley nodded to the orders softly at that.

"Aye got it, if you're waiting for me to make contact in the morning, with the first of the resistant cells now, it's 1030 hours later this morning. And they're arriving 1130, once they do that, I'm getting the codes for our wargames with the Hathaway. And it's going to completely overwhelm the sensor codes when I do so. And the system's down from now til 1645 hours, alright." he said and he heard a firm response to that news.

 ** _"Dr. Pulaski is arriving at 1130 hours later this morning, and the sensors, the internal and thermal sensors, are down until 1645 hours tomorrow after noon. Alright, my first stop is your quarters and I'm doing the engineering crew in the morning, once we get the duo out of the room."_** he said and Wesley nodded gently. "Alright, get started and I'll see you tomorrow." he said and he heard a gentle tone.

"You too, Wes, I'll see you in the morning." he said and they ended it at that as he looked at the cat in relief. "Well that's it for the night, Lal terminate the power on the doors, deactivate the A/V mode in here. And put up a sound proof shield all over the apartment, so they don't detect anyone in her, or hear Spot if she starts meowing." he said and he saw the terminal as the lights on the door controls went out then.

And the door glowing gold on his side of the door with a gentle pulse while also glowing a greenish gold as it combined with the empath blocking shield he put on it then. "Well that's it for the night, time to take a break." he said as he pulled a clean set of pajamas out of his bag as he waited, before the alarm went off then. " ** _Security, check the medical lab, if he's in there, there's obviously a reason for it right now."_**

 ** _"With Sickbay blocked off to him, if he changed locations after getting out of his apartment, before his apartment ended up in our hands. And again, if Cadet Hanson is wandering around the corridors, arrest him and take him to sickbay."_** Picard said firmly and he waited for the answer, before it came five minutes later. ** _"That's a negative, repeat, that's a false alarm in med lab, he's playing with us."_**

 ** _"We're going to keep searching, but with the system down, all doors not locked out of the search right now. And that includes the android's quarters, it's going to take until the system lock out is over, so we're looking at 15 to 24 hours, Captain, to them all. But once thing's start again after the countdown ends we have a better shot at it but until then, it's by tracing the alarms carefully."_**

 ** _"Depending on where he heads next, but if he just left the med lab, I think he's trying to stay out of sight, or possibly going by Hanson's opinion of things. It's to get to go into area so he can rest and eat. And do it without getting caught by us right now."_** Robertson said and Wesley hid a smile as he sent one last message to Dayton then at that as he thought it to him softly at that remark then gently.

"Charlie, after the power terminal that got blown, artificially, in the T-95 tube tunnel, it terminated the power, connecting it to Data's apartment. Lal killed the power on her apartment, so tell him all rooms that contain not on duty officers are left out of the search. But that still leaves 2,500+ rooms that are not involved in the search, which, to them, with the sensors and thermal sensors down, is still enough to annoy them."

"And Lal is feeding the cat, so if they see a slight flunctuation coming off the shower and replicators, it's because there's several bugs in the system after the explosion infected the shower and replicators in here." he said and he heard an immediate response to bridge, engineering and security crew at that remark as he went over it then. **_"Sirs, I did some swift scans after the simulated explosions in T-95, a bit ago."_**

 ** _"It seems that it terminated the power in certain situations areas of the ship, and one of said area. That it did was is in the android's quarters, causing the equipment to go berserk in there._** ** _And our A.I., she also terminated the power in his quarters and is dealing with taking care of the cat. And with him disabled right now at the current moment, so she's dealing with his cat right now."_**

 ** _"But as a result of the explosion, the bugs in the system are erratic at the current moment, and to the point it's screwing with the replicator._** ** _And his shower, so if we have a sudden equipment use in there, it's because of several bugs in the system,_** ** _thanks to the simulated explosion. Though at the moment, if what he told us was true regarding several leftover shards in that shaft."_**

 ** _"And despite a very fresh surgery, it's clear why he headed for the med lab with sickbay now in our hands and us blocking off his apartment."_** he said and he watched Picard nod as he answered him. ** _"What's the said reason exactly?"_** he asked him and he explained that to him. **_"So he could take a shower and get into some clean clothes as he recovers from the adrenaline come down and sugar crash."_**

 ** _"So I think after he left the lab he decided to bunk somewhere for the night, as this trip to the lab was for a secondary dose in the general stimulate cocktail. Before he replicated another candy bar or something, before he gets into where he's sleeping for the night."_** he said and Wesley hid a smile at his idea as he heard Will answer him gently at his analysis of the situation then as he said it to him.

 **_"Alright, so what do you suggest right now, Ensign?"_ ** he asked and Dayton explained that as Wesley hid a smile as he went further then as he said it to him gently at that remark then. **_"With all personnel not involved in the search, those rooms are left out of it._** ** _So of 5,000+ places to hide, half of those, including the android's quarters, are left out of the equation, as the doors are all locked."_**

 ** _"But half that number would take 10 to 15 hours to search until the clock on that timer ends by that point. So we just leave the rooms set for in case he decides to go in there, or decides to head back to his quarters now. But keep a few medic's in al public areas with with guards and everyone else in there."_ ** he said and Wesley knew they nodded to that as he said it for all of them at that.

 ** _"Alright everyone stay put in the areas they're in, and be on the alert, all rooms not involved in the search. Dr. Anenzi, I want you to dispatch three medic's, each, to all public areas, but stay on your guard in case he comes in there. But all public areas be on the look out for both him and Cadet Hanson right now. Or Hanson's friends if they decide to get involved, I want them out of the search."_**

 ** _"And that's including the areas we have set up, but all areas that are locked are left out of the search for the night. And the android's quarters and all personnel, take them out the equation, lieutenant. So until the timer ends, it's doing a manual systematic search of every room, so it's going to be a very long 15 hours now."_** Picard said and he knew they nodded then as they ended it at that.

As that ended the radio messages and he relaxed completely then as he headed for Data's bathroom stripped the blood stained trousers and shirt and started showering. Before he towered himself dry, and put his p.j.'s on then. "Lal, I need a fresh set of that same set of clothes for tomorrow when we get started a second time." he said and a minute later a copy of that same set of clothes appeared on the desk and he smiled.

"One sleeping pill, of 15mg's please." he said and it appeared on the table then next to the bed, as he grabbed the bag, opened it and took out one of the ones marked for dinner. Opening he saw a meatloaf, mashed potatoes that had a three cheese blend, and several of his favorite vegetables with Italian seasoning. And in the fourth spot had five of his favorite cookies, and he smiled as he pulled a bottle of water out then.

"Nice choice at the moment, I have several favorite foods and this happens to be one of them, and I know I said several mixtures of my favorite types food combinations. And this is a nice choice for the first, how long do these have they're until unusable though?" he asked and she said it softly. **_"Shelf life for these is for a 6 weeks, but this first portion is just a preparation, if we get boarded for whatever reason now."_**

 ** _"So at the moment and until we finish the added trouble regarding your squadron at the academy. If we get boarded a second time, it's not just you five, but whoever gets involved as well later on. So this is preparation for that right now."_** she said and he nodded as he dug into, before he smiled as he said it to her. "Well this is just as good as my mother's cooking Lal, really good in fact."

"Whatever's for breakfast in the morning I can find out then, but right now I need to rest and take care of my hunger right now." he said as he did several bites of a different combinations while eating. Once the main course was done, he ate the cookies, and saw a bottle of milk and nodded as he dug into the cookies and and drank the milk. He then took the sleeping pill and vitamins and got into bed as he said it to her gently at that.

"Lights out now, Lal, I'll see you in the morning." he said and she answered with a gentle smile in her tone ** _. "Good night Wes, pleaseant dreams."_** She said and he laid back as the cat looked at him softly. "Yeah you can, come on." he said and she gave a mew as she curled up next to him as he stroked her fur and her gentle purring lulled him to sleep. As Lal watched him gently from the computer as they waited till morning then

 **The Crusher's Apartment, Sickbay And Ten Forward Data's POV:**

Leaving the lab, he heard the automatic alarm come over the radio, as he heard Picard call it out then, as he waited patiently then. As he left the room and hid in the room across from the lab as the programmed tone to his commander sounded out. 'Etana you're never going near my student, if I say anything about it. We trained that child so well, you're never going to win this, and you're just assuming I'm still deactivated."

'That you're going to get that game off the ship is your biggest flaw right now, just because you're reading the route through the people you took control of. Doesn't mean you're going to win this match between us and your race, your over confidence is your weakness.' he thought firmly as he heard her say it through Picard. " ** _Security, check the medical lab, if he's in there, there's obviously a reason for it right now."_**

 ** _"With Sickbay blocked off to him, if he changed locations after getting out of his apartment, before his apartment ended up in our hands._** ** _And again, if Cadet Hanson is wandering around the corridors, arrest him and take him to sickbay."_** Picard said firmly and he waited for the answer, before it came five minutes later then. ** _"That's a negative, repeat, that's a false alarm in med lab, he's playing with us."_**

 ** _"We're going to keep searching, but with the system down, all doors not locked out of the search right now. And that includes the android's quarters, it's going to take until the system lock out is over, so we're looking at 15 to 24 hours, Captain, to them all. But once thing's start again after the countdown ends we have a better shot at it but until then, it's by tracing the alarms carefully."_**

 ** _"Depending on where he heads next, but if he just left the med lab, I think he's trying to stay out of sight, or possibly going by Hanson's opinion of things. It's to get to go into area so he can rest and eat. And do it without getting caught by us right now."_** Robertson said, before he heard Dayton answer him as he listened carefully to his next remark then as he said it to all of them at that.

 ** _"Sirs, I did some swift scans after the simulated explosions in T-95, a bit ago._** ** _It seems that it terminated the power in certain situations areas of the ship, and one of said areas. That it did was is in the android's quarters, causing the equipment to go berserk in there."_** he said and Data thought it over to why he said that and then hid a smile as he got it, as he realized why Dayton was doing that.

Just to make it sound as if Lal was the one doing everything electronically in his quarters and he hid a chuckle as he said it to himself softly at that remark. 'The terminal remark is just a decoy, Lal is watching over him and he's using my showers. And the replicator right now as a result, before he goes to bed right now, but first showers. As he washes all the dried blood from his stage acting when he left his apartment off of him.'

'And then the replicator, is so he can replicate the sleeping pill and in the morning, it's so he can feed Spot, before he changes rooms after I clear each room tonight. And tomorrow, but first is so he can get the distraction set up, yes alright. Alright keep going Charlie, it's not Wes doing that, it's Lal, she's the computer A.I., now. She's terminated the power and is causing my equipment to get erratic right now at the moment.'

'Keep going, we have to make sure that until every room is clear, before I free the guards that we have them continuing to think its Lal right now." he said to him mentally as he went further then gently. " ** _And our new A.I., she also terminated the power in his quarters and is dealing with taking care of the cat. And with him disabled right now at the current moment, so she's dealing with his cat right now."_**

 ** _"But as a result of the explosion, the bugs in the system are erratic at the current moment, and to the point it's screwing with the replicator._** ** _And his shower, so if we have a sudden equipment use in there, it's because of several bugs in the system,_** ** _thanks to the simulated explosion. Though at the moment, if what he told us was true regarding several leftover shards in that shaft."_**

 ** _"And despite a very fresh surgery, it's clear why he headed for the med lab with sickbay now in our hands and us blocking off his apartment."_** he said and he watched Picard nod as he answered him. **_"What's the said reason exactly?"_** he asked him and he explained that to him. ** _"So he could take a shower and get into some clean clothes as he recovers from the adrenaline come down and sugar crash."_**

 ** _"So I think after he left the lab he decided to bunk somewhere for the night, as this trip to the lab was for a secondary dose in the general stimulate cocktail. Before he replicated another candy bar or something, before he gets into where he's sleeping for the night."_ ** he said and Data knew they nodded as Will answered him as he said it to him gently as Data hid a smile of pride at his students skills then.

 ** _"Alright, so what do you suggest right now, Ensign?"_ ** he asked and Dayton explained that as Wesley hid a smile as he went further then as he said it to him gently at that remark then. **_"With all personnel not involved in the search, those rooms are left out of it._** ** _So of 5,000+ places to hide, half of those, including the android's quarters, are left out of the equation, as the doors are all locked."_**

 ** _"But half that number would take 10 to 15 hours to search until the clock on that timer ends by that point. So we just leave the rooms set for in case he decides to go in there, or decides to head back to his quarters now. But keep a few medic's in all public areas with with guards and everyone else in there."_ ** he said and Data knew they nodded to that as Picard said it for all of them at that.

 ** _"Alright everyone stay put in the areas they're in, and be on the alert, all rooms not involved in the search. Dr. Anenzi, I want you to dispatch three medic's, each, to all public areas, but stay on your guard in case he comes in there. But all public areas be on the look out for both him and Cadet Hanson right now. Or Hanson's friends if they decide to get involved, I want them out of the search."_**

 ** _"And that's including the areas we have set up, but all areas that are locked are left out of the search for the night. And the android's quarters and all not on duty personnel, take them out the equation, lieutenant. So until the timer ends, it's doing a manual systematic search of every room, so it's going to be a very long 15 hours now."_** Picard said and he knew they nodded as they ended it at that.

After getting to just outside of the Crushers apartment he pulled the beacon from his pocket then. "Lal turn out the lights in the room." he said and a minute later he heard a shout at that. "Open it." he said and he quickly charged in and hit them both with several beams each. Before watching them as they shook their heads as they both sat down in exhaustion as Porter looked at him as he refocused as he said it to him gently.

"Data, what the hell did she do to us?" he asked and he sighed. "Lal activate the code security clearance to the resistance cell, the Crusher apartment is now cleared of the contagion. Enact security codes of 555-2375-249875, requesting emergency shelter area protocols effective immediately for the night, your orders come from Lieutenant Porter now, too." he said and in response the room flashed blue at that and Davidson nodded.

"The empath blocking energy pulse, Wes thought of everything in our cases to protect us right now, didn't he." he said, bemused and Data nodded as he answered his first question then. "Indeed yes, but this was so he could help you recover after I freed you Ensign, and to answer you now, Lieutenant. This situation is try #3, to get an incursion going in the federation, but try one was the reason Maxwell went renegade."

"Try one, was regarding the Cardassians and as a result Maxwell went renegade and killed 650 people. Try two was to kill the Klingon Ambassador, and they turned Geordi into an assassin so try two didn't work. So this one was try three, by getting a game into the Starfleet, and it was by her infecting our ship. And programming everyone that used it to get into the next drop off points, the junior crew figured out and Wes told me."

"While Charlie was acting as a plant, Ensign Lefler was the bait and he was keeping you busy while I created a way to counteract the addictive properties of that game. But I just managed to get him to take a break and he's sleeping off the effects of the adrenaline crash right now." Data said and he looked at the evidence all over the table as his eyes narrowed in anger as he slammed his hand on the table then as he said it.

"I see what he's telling us, something dismantled his sleep cycles, these symptoms are the symptoms of sleep deprivation, Caffeine withdrawal and malnutrition. He's two emergencies away from having his system impact and crash here?" he snapped and Data nodded to him. "Yes that's it exactly, he was going to tell us when he got back, but with the Commander and Counselor Troi now compromised." he said and they nodded to him.

"He tells them and he's telling her what's wrong with him, she's been trying to catch him in the act all week until tonight. She realized that he busted her and the jig was up, and she knew she had to get every single person over the age of 17. And I think it only works on young adults to fully grown adults in humans and humanoids. But it didn't work on you, because you're an android." Davidson said and he nodded to him and he sighed.

"Then this was a case of stage acting right now." he said as Porter, thinking it over as he went to bathroom and went to a dustbin and then dug out the clean bag. And looked from it to the one that was smeared with blood and nodded as he read it out. "Uh huh, his mother was good at theatrics when the ship personnel put on plays. So he decided on an act of stage acting this just to get our parental instincts to go berserk, as to why."

"It's she's trying to keep control of us by focusing on his physical condition, so if the memory recall of everything we did together didn't work right now. Then he's going to start over riding it by having our parental instincts go berserk at the moment. As to why he chose this method, it's because if he hadn't stopped in that tunnel when he did. And he'd have collapsed, and landed right on top of this one, tetanus shot, tetanus shot."

"Lal, I need to check to see when he was due to get his booster?" he said to her and a minute later it came up on the computer then. "His last dose was before that traveler came back when Bev got stuck in that void, and he was due for it this month, so he took care of it himself and simulated the reason for it. Got himself a quick snack, a dose of epinephrine, mixed with vitamins, and then left the vitamin bottles all over the room."

"And created his supplies and then got our attention, but that's why he left this photo out for me right now, that was bonding test between us like I said at the time. This was just weeks before the traveler returned to the ship, and for us the time he left. It was fast approaching now and we decided on father/son bonding test during this. Before he left for the academy at the time last year, but he knows what's wrong with us."

"The members he's closest to right now, because he spent close to four years knowing everything about us, but 1) it's the fact that as our student. He's like our son, 2) it's because we have Charlie here who is so much like him that it hurt. Seeing Charlie in every spot we normally saw him in, and finally it's the aggravation. Of dealing with Derek and his repeatedly breaking his medical recovery." he said and they noddedd firmly.

Before he could answer, he heard Lal answer him, her tone stern as she said it. ** _"Yes well I was tracking Cadet Hanson's communicator now. And despite orders given to him, by you Lieutenant, Charlie, Wes, and the Captain. He's decided to go looking for him to arrest him, himself. Father he's armed and his bio-signature, it indicates he's just ingested a very high amount of ethanol."_**

 ** _"And with it, it's also giving every indication of stimulates with it, my readings suggest a stimulate that is more damaging than caffeine right now."_** she said and Porter covered his eyes as he answered her. "The said stimulate is a drug us humans call amphetamines, back in the 20th century they called it by the nickname of speed. But it's stimulate and he mixed it with ethanol, which is a sedative if too much is taken in."

"But mixing stimulates and tranquilizers does damage to a point that if you don't get your system cleared of the toxins, and that's beyond dangerous, as to why exactly. It's because this messes with your neurological functions to the point it can put you into the hospital when you're a human. And this was why he was on light duty in the first place, we've had to arrest him once too often and to repeat my remark right now."

"We had all we can take in this regarding repeatedly crossing the lines, regarding him repeatedly breaking his detox and rehab right now. And this is the last and final straw right now for us as the security crew, the last time prior to this. He barely broke his wrist in that exact same hallway and Wes had a concussion. This time he did it for real and it nearly kills Charlie in the outburst and he suffers a seizure, and with that in mind."

"The last reaction nearly killed Charlie and that was less then a month ago right now and trying it this soon after the last one. That's not only dangerous, he could have another seizure or worse, if he starts resisting arrest, alright we have to follow orders right now." Porter said and Data nodded in agreement to his thoughts as he grabbed the equipment, as he looked through Beverly medical drug cabinet and grabbed the sedatives.

Before grabbing a neutralizer to counteract the drugs in his system as he worked carefully in equalizing the dose. "I don't give a damn what he says right now, Data, but this is too soon for this right now after the last time. But Wes's remark when he paged us over the computer, that must be the catalyst right now. He thinks Wes is is goading him over the fact that he hasn't gotten reckless in his actions and it's lasted so long."

"In our eyes that Wes had the skill he doesn't have and with doing this in the way we wanted him too, in her eyes she think that comming us. And in the middle of a manhunt is a failure in his training, but as ourselves, we consider this tantamount to taking her off guard. Dodge a security team and head for ten forward, I don't think so, Wes is doing great right now the moment, but it's because he's doing it like a scientist right now."

"But again, he's suffering from that psychosis Wes told us about when he showed us his computer program and you downloaded Lal into the system as well. That Wes passed every test we gave him, in this, won every award he wanted. And to him, it's we're comparing him to Wes and in our eyes he just can't seem to measure up. And he's decided if he can catch the golden boy, in our eyes, that at least gets him credit."

"But he's not considering all the ramifications, I mean what if it's not you or him that he runs into out there. But Danar, a teenager going up against a skilled soldier, or officer, it's suicide and it's, in our eyes, reckless endangerment. Well he blew his training test tonight, and Charlie is getting second in command on the team with Wes back for the duration." Porter said and he nodded as he answered him, feeling his annoyance then.

"I'm not sure what Derek is thinking right now, but trying it this soon after the last reaction is way too dangerous right now. That level he took in plus the amphetamines, he's just landed himself in the emergency room for the second time in two months. Dr. Anenzi could consider this tantamount to a relapse at the moment. Or he's suffering a case of withdrawal and rebound, but either way, I'm doing his decision for him."

"But Derek's getting that rest break whether he wants it or not right now, but it's either he goes with me to sickbay, or its sedation and once the entire room is cleared. Dr. Anenzi tells her to teleport him into the room, though if this tells me anything. Then the second the sedative wears off and he sees he's in there. The reaction is going to be the added side effects of the secondary programming." he said and finished with a sigh then.

"Though if Wes is trying to stay awake and takes whatever it was that he was on before the situation hits stage three of their plan. That is Etana and whoever she's in league with, but if it reaches stage three of whatever their back up plan is after we end this. And he's the target for it in whatever our research reveals on this, but I really hope. That it's not connected to what he told me earlier, but in this case, if it is and there's more."

"Then caffeine in those pills he told me about, and we have to analyze those pills to know what this is, because whoever gave him the pills set him up for rehab. And it means we've got to pull a medical intervention, in his case if his system crashes. And we find that in his system, but if this is part of their plan, because all this time. He thought it was caffeine, but if there's more to it, we don't have a choice here, regarding this right now."

"But it's medical intervention and the six of us are now doing the decision we should have when he was under Devin's knack two years ago." he said as he finished up as the duo nodded at that. "You mean that's not the first time you saw him looking like this?" Davidson asked and he nodded. "No it's not, the last time was after we encountered a smuggler called Okona, it was a summit between the Klingons and another group."

"But a Selelvian by the name of Jaan Devin threw his knack on him, and he was worked into a collapse. But his system impacted, crashed and he came down with the flu 3 days after Devin was killed, but we made that single mistake. And of not getting him to get some rest and the six of us and Dr. Pulaski decided it wasn't happening again." he said and the duo nodded as Porter answered him gently at that remark as he said it to him.

"If whatever it was that he was going tell us, I bet it's in his stuff, because he never took stimulates before and whatever caused it now. It needs to get addressed, but we have to confiscate it, though if our secondary host switches the pain killers he was on for whatever it was that he going into detox from. That's enough of reason right now, because the reaction alone could kill him if he's suffering anything else at the time."

"Though for us, he's closest to us, the quartet, Miles, the commander and the duo, but with it now. But it's clear that he's following the prescription and medical instructions Eli and Joe Dayton would have suggested here. If he's draining the caffeine out of his system like this, but increased exertion, suffers a jolt, he came in here. And grabbed something that had both in it, a quick bite to hold him till he got to your quarters."

"Ate a real meal and took the missing vitamins from his diet, took the sleeping pill and he's down for the count after that. But Wes needs 8 hours of rest and he doesn't need it being interrupted right now. So with that, I think it's best if you put Derek under for the night, because he's trying to pull night duty when we ordered him to bed. Just tell Eli, that Davidson, you and I made his decision, regarding Derek, for him and Beverly."

"And we decided he's getting the rest he needs, and whether he wants it or not, right now, because these kids are pushing our nerves regarding this, way too far. So enforced medical intervention in that, right now, I'm the first of however many we have in each of the designated shelters right now. And I'm saying this on Greyson and Jack's orders, but medical arrest and intervention." he said to him, before he looked at the terminal then.

"What's Lal's position now, he said that if she was human, she'd be no older then him or the quartet?" Davidson asked and he explained that. "If we were human, I'd be 35 years old, she's 18 to 19, for the kids, she's like a member of their squadron. Though she's in the system it doesn't matter, she's got his back with Charlie busy acting as a plant and the duo incapacitated until tomorrow night." he said as he refocused on her at that.

"Lal, I need a lock on the bed across from my computer." he said and in answer to that the trio saw the young man in a deep sleep. And with the cat curled up next to him then before she curled into his side and in response to her actions. He wrapped his arm around her and in his sleep started stroking her fur gently. As they heard a gentle purring start up at that as she looked at him softly as she pressed her forehead to his.

As they laid there on the bed sleeping as the purring kept up then. Watching this the trio exchanged looks at that, as, exchanging smiles to that, Porter said it with a smile. "Looks like she thinks he's her kitten from the very beginning, because I've never seen her this relaxed with any adult. Let alone curling up into their arms when they're asleep or worked over time." he said and Data nodded as Davidson hid a chuckle at his remark.

"I think your cat considered him her kitten if she decided to sleep on the bed with him, though she's acting like a mother cat now. But here's something we never saw before in her, but I think she likes kids more than adults, if she's like this around him." Davidson said and he nodded as he hid a gentle smile. "Seven months since you got her, she's never acted like this with anyone in the adult crew, and the second he returns."

"She's acting in the way she does with you, and acting like she belongs to him now as well at the moment here." Porter said as he tried to hold in a chuckle and Data nodded smiling. "If he had his own and it's a girl then yes that would the case right now, but I think she just decided she was his cat as well, if she's like this around him now. Aside from that his mother is a cat person, but I think Spot likes children more than adults."

"To her meeting him now was enough to get her attention, she in human years is 27 years old and he's just hit his 19th birthday. But in Lal's eyes my closest friends were the rest of the senior staff, Guinan, Chief O'Brien. And several members each of the engineering and security crews. We're the ones who helped his mother raise him at the time, so he's our cub too." he said and he nodded with a slight smile as Porter said it.

"That's it kiddo, just rest, you done enough for one night, we can take care of ourselves, you just save your strength, you need to rest." Porter said softly to him. "Damn it, he wasn't ready for this and he was definitely in no condition for it. At our age, it's acting like a father to him and he's got more the one surrogate or adoptive parent on the ship. But once the senior staff figures out the clues he left out for us tonight."

"And Beverly is going to kill her for pushing him into this when he wasn't in any condition for it tonight. Though I think he knew the only way for me to focus was by reminding of our bonding training game. And it was by leaving that clue on the wall of the shaft, he did that before. By leaving a package of his favorite cookies and his initials on one of the trees on the holodeck last year for me, that was another clue to me, but the red ink."

"That was Perillon dye, Jake Potts..., yes of course, after Soong hijacked the ship, he finished the download and that was it at the time. He wanted me to remember when he finished and completed the programming, and I'm the first to figure it out, but the survival fitness test. Blue was a false trail, red was the real one, she doesn't understand what he was telling me, but Jules Verne, a clue for me." Porter said as he finished that.

"But yeah that's what I figured, that much physical exertion, once the adrenaline quits, and as does the sugar rush and he's decided on a real meal, before taking a shower. And after laying down, the comedown hit him and he's down for the count. But every symptom of iron deficiency is apparent, as is potassium. And he's over heating way too fast, every mineral he normally had high doses of is depleted dangerously right now."

"Like any cop or paramedic, we know first aid pretty well, and with that, leaving these bottles lying around. But a sudden surgery like this, lose one unit, gain one unit, take the iron tablets, and a sudden burst on the epinephrine cocktail. A massive sugar burst to refuel his blood sugar levels and before he gets some real food into his body. But every clue was made clear to what he's trying to tell us with us being the first now."

"That are back to normal in the resistance pocket cells at the current moment here, and he's saying to us what's really wrong with him now that we're back to normal. And he's saying he's suffering malnutrition, caffeine withdrawal and sleep deprivation. But his is tolerable at the best of times, Derek on the other hand. He is danger to himself and he's the one who needs medical attention." Porter said and he nodded as he answered him.

"Yes well in this case, it's either he goes to sickbay, or its sedation and we have Lal get him in sickbay after I free the medical team in there. Were there several medical personnel in every public area, though because I know that you guys were in every public place. Aside from Bates, Roberts and Greyson right now, but are there medical personnel and security crew in every public place?" he asked and Porter nodded.

"Yeah there were, though once we're free of the program, everyone's focus shifts directions. And with my being the first my thoughts shifted from Wes and right back to the right teenage patient, as Wes said that if we heard this we'd order him to be arrested and taken to sickbay for an immediate recovery. But doing it this soon, if he thinks we're not going to order him under medical watch this soon, he'd better think again right now."

"And hearing our latest training ensign did it again this soon after the adverse reaction he had just short of a month ago. The security personnel's thoughts are going in the same direction mine are and they're saying he should be in sickbay. But the captain ordered if you, or the others, caught him in the hall, armed and intoxicated. Then he's being called out on a real medical arrest right now, Data and with that in mind."

"We better follow orders, he may not be himself right now, but with us back to normal and soon enough the other hotzones. We're following direct orders, both for Derek and for any flip out, so medical arrest until it's safe to open the door. In case it causes a relapse, but if he resists arrest, it's sedation, and we get him in sickbay by use of the site to site transporter system." he said to him and Data nodded as he left the room at that.

Carefully searching the hall, he removed the hypo syringe from his pocket holster. 'Young man I don't know what you're thinking right now, but trying it this way. Just to get a better reputation with the security and us members of the senior staff crew is reckless. And is not the way to handle a situation like this right now, you've been under adult supervision ever since the last reaction and trying it this soon is too dangerous.'

"Whatever you're thinking young man, you're not thinking straight right now Cadet, and don't fight me, because you're going into forced recovery for the third time in 18 months. But that's enough of this right now, cadet, don't fight me young man, because you're getting that rest period whether you want it or not right now." he thought to the young man firmly and heard a shout and looked up to see the teenager in question then.

"Whoa, but I thought, alright hold it right there Data." he heard and saw it was his young friend's rival. "Mr. Hanson as you are not part of security or a member of the crew, I'm not entitled to do you any harm." he said to him sternly and he answered him as he yanked a phaser. "Where is he exactly right now, Data?" he asked and Data stood there calmly as he answered him then, knowing exactly what was happening then.

Instead of answering he hit him with the cure then as he fell into the wall. "What the, alright wait a minute, where is he?!" he snapped at him and Data answered him firmly. "Why do you want to know exactly Derek, because you weren't supposed to be on duty right now anyway. Trying to play the hero to get extra credit are we, Cadet, because I do believe we've gone over this before, after we started training you, and with that."

"You do realize if I was the inspiration of his chosen decoy attempts you'd be dead right now. But as I'm not, you're very lucky or this would turn into a hostage situation, and as for your physical condition right now, cadet, how many times do we have to do this with you. Until you're completely recovered from the substances you've been contaminating your body with lately, you need to be in sickbay for this, you're not thinking straight."

"Did you really expect to run into your rival tonight, because that overconfidence is a dangerous flaw. As is this desire to get out from the duo's shadow and mixing it with drugs, ethanol and adding a phaser to it is a very dangerous mix. And one that could kill someone as a result, if you're not careful and are sober and secondly. Doing it this soon after the last dose just under a month ago, Porter and I see this as you had a relapse."

"Or you never expected that the second that the crew is freed from the programming that the focus turns itself back to the right teenage patient. When his is more tolerable at the moment then yours is and he knows how to end the jolts he's suffering from. When he's in detox, but you did not and with that, if you expected us to not realize it. That you did it again and this soon after the first at the moment, then you're mistaken here."

"Because we did, but medical arrest just shifted directions for the first resistance cell right now. You remember what the captain said, if Lieutenants Bates, Roberts, or Greyson and their teams, let alone I, caught you in the hallway. Inebriated and carrying a phaser, you were to be arrested and taken to sickbay for immediate detox. And medical supervision, well instead of the security teams that catch you, I do now, cadet."

"And you're the medical patient at the moment now, trying this again this soon after the last is way too dangerous at the moment. To them, this search is getting dangerous enough without adding inebriation to it right now. The captain gave me and the others direct orders if we caught you, like this, you're to be apprehended and taken to sickbay." he said and, watching him carefully, as the young man's eyes widened at that.

And he knew the teenager wasn't expecting them to realize he did it again then at that news as he watched him carefully then. Seeing the look in his eyes he could see him thinking. 'Oh no, the captain gave them direct orders if they caught me I was under arrest for breaking orders at the time. And..., oh god no, how did they figure it out that fast, with the effects of the programming, their attention was focused on him for once."

"But Porter knows I did it, no, how did he find out, no please don't say it, not again, I don't want to go through it again.' he saw him thinking and the young man quickly answered him. "How..., how did you know..." he started to say and he answered him. "That you did it again, my daughter is the A.I., that is controlling the ship, she was monitoring your vitals and tracing your communicator through the corridors of the ship."

"But trying it this soon after the last reaction which was just short of month ago is way too dangerous right now, and you should be resting right now. And not be on duty or contaminating your body with another this soon after the adverse reaction. Said reaction less then 3 weeks ago, with the hotspots about to be decontaminated. With the teams in locked into their corresponding spots and I'm the one searching th halls for you."

"But as Lieutenant Porter told me you you were supposed to be in your quarters resting, well I'm saying you're on stand down. Now, with my being back on line, I'm the only senior officer not affected by this right now. And one of my juniors is in bed resting after pushing his endurance further then he should have. While the other is incapacitated and the possible third is working under cover right now and you're the fourth of the quintet."

"A newly activated recruit and you're on light duty right now and on medical watch, I can ascertain that though they're compromised the added acts. And of knowing that you're still on light duty shot through them after she read their, or our thoughts, regarding you. And before the axe fell tonight at the moment, but of five he's got an easy recovery at the moment, you on the other it's far more dangerous at the moment, but of you."

"In junior recruits, it's you who wasn't supposed to be on duty, as the only ones who were, were supposed to be Charlie, Robin Lefler and Wesley. So if this was to get some recognition and attention it's not the way to do it and secondly, you're on light duty. And medical watch and you broke your rehab from this and at another dangerous level. So you're being removed from duty and are on medical watch until you're clean, cadet."

"Now come with me, you're going to sickbay, you need to be under medical watch right now." he said and he watched the young man back up at that. "No, once was enough, Data, I'm okay, I don't want to go. I'm focused, I'll go to my quarters, but no sickbay." he said quickly to his remark and he hid a nod as sighed mentally then. 'Yes that's what I thought, having to go through it twice, he doesn't want to be in sickbay right now.'

'Alright easy, don't fight me cadet, easy, easy.' he thought as he answered him as he edged closer to him then. "The flaw in this programming she created is that once back to normal and free of her programming. Is that the focus switches directions, at the moment their, or rather her, focus, is on Wesley. But now that Porter and Davidson are back to normal it's on you right now, so think it over, just why would they'd be worried."

"Right now, if not for the fact that you crossed a medical line you shouldn't have, and after the seizure and adverse reaction you had, regarding these drugs last month. After we had to get you in detox and rehab for the last three weeks here. You really think that Dr. Crusher, Commander Riker and Captain Picard are not going to order this. Once I break her control on them later on today." he said and the teenager backed up at that.

"You..., you don't mean that once free, the sextet are going to..., no not again, I'm not going to sickbay, back off!" he said quickly to him then. 'Derek I know you don't want to have to keep this up, but repeatedly in an endless circle of withdrawal and recovery. It's enough your body can't take this type of abuse repeatedly right now.' he thought as he answered him gently as he moved into position as he said it to him.

"It's been less then three weeks, since the last reaction after you nearly killed Charlie, but doing it this soon after that. So how do you suppose Anenzi is going to take it when he hears you did it again at the moment, here, hmm. Your parents left us in charge of you until they got back, but repeated exposure to these chemicals. And your body was just getting over the last dose, it's too soon for this." he said to him, moving in slowly.

"Derek you're in no condition for this right now, you really expected to not to get caught when everyone else is either locked into the room they're hiding in. That's the other clear flaw in the programming right now, Etana's focus is on Wesley, but mine, Porter's and Davidson's are on you. Now again either you come with me, or I'm bringing you into Anenzi myself." he said to him as he grabbed him and yanked him into his arms then.

At that the young man started panicking. "No, no let me go!" he said squirming to get free. "Calm down, settle down now cadet." he said and the teenager quickly said it. "No I'm not going, let me go, I'm not going." he said struggling as he struggled to get out of his arms. As he sighed as he said it. "I'm not saying it again, now calm down now, cadet." he said and he snapped at him. "Get your hands off me, let me go!"

"I'm not going." Hanson said and he said it firmly to that. "Alright, that's enough." he said as he injected a hypospray syringe into his neck, waiting ten seconds, the young man collapsed and he put him in the lab and into restraints. "Lal when Anenzi tells you bring him in." he said and then locked the door then, as he walked to sickbay and then said it. "Computer turn out the lights in sickbay." he said and heard a shout at that.

"Whoa what the hell is going on here." he heard as he walked in and hit each of them with a several flashes each and watched as their eyes all cleared as the medical doctor slumped against the exam table. "Data, what happened to us exactly right now?" he asked in exhaustion and he sighed. "Lal secure sickbay and level two forcefield on the ventilation shaft grates." he said sharply and the doors beeped at that request.

And the the twelve medical personnel nodded. "Data, again, what happened to us, because now that I'm thinking straight right now, I'm seeing what he was trying to tell us. The medical care he needs is my expertise, so what did he discover if she triggered our medical security protocols tonight?" Anenzi asked again and he sighed as he explained that to him and knowing he and the others were going to be furious.

"Those games, she used the commander to infect the ship with, are mind control devices that acted like first the Polywater virus and then turned into the conspiracy. Wesley and Robin Lefler figured it out and the mastermind turned her sights on them, Robin has been taken, but Wesley escaped custody, he is in my room right now resting for the night right now, but what you read on his self diagnosis, was the very tip of it."

"But as you have the medical reports regarding his self diagnosis." he said and Elijah Anenzi nodded as he activated the computer to look and felt his heart speed up then. "Oh dear god no, when he left he was recovering from the effects of a cave in and dehydration." he said and the medical technician answered that from behind him. "What's it say exactly, if you're getting worried." she asked and he said it firmly then.


	12. 12: Medical Recap And Exam Results

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs tome and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Chapter 12: Medical Recap, Testing Results And Next Stop**

"His indications and self exam are giving the exact symptoms of a patient suffering a severe case of sleep deprivation, stimulate use, possibly sugar and caffeine. If this was that movie focused on that mental maniac that was targeting the kids of the people that killed him. He's pushed himself into a stay at the hospital to heal from the amount of damage the duration did to his body at the time here at the moment, though from this."

"It's a case of very high levels of caffeine and sugar, that's the one indication now, but if he's been having repeated nightmares, possibly focused on us and to block it out he did this. And a severe case of malnutrition, but whatever's going on at the academy has completely dismantled his medical and nutritional regime. And the one that Beverly and the quartet created for him when she left to return to earth at the time three years ago."

"But the readings say his heart rate: 130/90, blood pressure: pre-hypertension from stress. Whatever said stress is I'm finding out when everyone is clear. But, body temperature: 102' degrees, weight: 110lbs, blood sugar level: 305/caffeine level: 475, serotonin/melatonin level: 475/585. All these symptoms are a patient on the edge of a relapse." Anenzi said and finished with a gentle sigh as he went further then at that.

"Relapse, relapse of what exactly?" the guard said in shock and his tone went furious as he answered him. "He's suffering a trio of things, but these are the symptoms of sleep deprivation, malnutrition and caffeine withdrawal. To answer the send question though, Kate and I saw these exact symptoms in him when he was recovering. And after Devin was murdered, Devin threw his knack on him causing him to work until he collapsed."

"Because he was suffering from the side effects of the knack, and ever since then, these kids, the ones like Derek Hanson. They are the reason he's working at saving everyone all at once right now the current moment. But three years to the day and suddenly it's happening all over again and it's because someone has just thrown a wrench. And into his recovery, but everyone of these were the same symptoms that he showed then."

"All indicators he's driven himself into the ground, but he had maybe three days of a reprieve, but that's not enough time and as to why. There is still a slight indication of foreign chemicals in his blood stream still, those spasms he had in here when they called out that medical alert are from some sort of withdrawal. Diagnosis: extreme exhaustion, stress, weight loss from malnutrition, mild fever from possible virus or worse right now."

"But acute substance abuse recovery, though if his blood sugar and caffeine levels are telling me anything he's in caffeine withdrawal right now. And that's causing those spasms and why he looks like he's coming down with something. Alright computer, I need the second portion, if he's lost 10 to 12 pounds and is suffering muscle spasms what's the cause and what are his nutrient levels at?" he asked it and he heard a sigh.

 ** _"Key nutrients missing are calcium, iron, vitamins A, B, C, D, K, potassium, Chronium and magnesium. All nutrient levels are dangerously low. Vitamins C, D, and K, potassium, iron, magnesium and Chronium. Levels are in the dangerously low and need to be replenished immediately. Patient is endanger of severe spasms and severe case of anemia. Calcium and vitamin D are needed immediately as well."_** the computer told him and he nodded to that firmly then.

"Wait a minute, your voice..., Lal is that you?" the guard said to her quickly and he heard a gentle tone answer him. **_"Yes Lieutenant, it's me, so I assume if you're calling me by name, you're one of the original crew of the first 3 years after father created me?"_** she asked and he gave a nod. "I am, I've been here since our launch four years ago, but I'm relieved to hear your voice, what are you doing in there."

"Because everyone not involved in the conversation blacked it out when he and Wes downloaded you into the computer last year?" he said and he heard a gentle chuckle. **_"Father downloaded me into the computer just after Wes added the programming, insurance policy in case this ever happened. But that explains why the stun setting on the cascade field is up to five, it's a warning jolt."_**

 ** _"Such as it is, Wes told me to act like his sister since he reactivated me and my programming, and seeing him this worn out. I'm doing whatever it takes to protect him until everyone is free of the programming now."_** she said and they all nodded. "Great, whoever makes him worse is ending up getting trapped in a turbolift later for it here." the orderly said and Anenzi nodded as he answered that remark.

"Alright with that fact in mind and that you reported directly to me, I'm going to have to deal with this, when his mother finds out. Though she and I are dealing with his medical recovery and whoever shows up in the next few hours, if you're back on line, is helping me out. But get the others, because we're doing the engineering room in the morning after he takes them further into a case of misdirection here."

"But whatever else he has planned is working so far, but it's working past computer sensors to get whoever we got coming in the morning to protect them." he said and Data nodded to him. "I got him to take a sleeping pill so he could get a few hours of rest to recover, but if I have to guess. It's this is a cross between the captain and Tyken's rift Doctor, regarding his sleep cycles." he said and the doctor nodded as he answered him.

"I dropped in on Porter and Davidson, they're in Wes's apartment, but they were my first stop, but them, you, ten forward and the lounges. But I count 30 of you and them, so that's 32 so far right now, but I'm doing engineering tomorrow at the moment. Wes told me that the repeated hotflashes were a case of caffeine withdrawal and iron deficiency." he added and the man nodded as he looked at the diagnosis and sighed as he said it.

"Whatever's causing this and I think it could be too much of whatever caffeinated product he was taking in prior to this and the duration. But if this is the reason his BAC levels are this high, than we got to get him back on his regime and keep him home. But if Charlie knows him than he can fill us in, regarding what the hell was going on at the academy and what was causing it." Anenzi told him and he nodded as he answered him.

"Someone involved in this conspiracy has completely dismantled his sleep cycles, Doctor. He told me he's been having frequent nightmare about us ever since Geordi got turned into an assassin. Almost like the situation with the entity regarding the captain, Doctor Crusher and Lieutenant Worf. The thought-maker was part of this as well, in his words, it's like the images are for real and he's seeing everything that's happening up here."

"To us, and ever since this started this has gotten out of control and he started taking the pills, but stopped like three months ago. When he realized they weren't working at the time, but making it worse, all in all at the moment. That it's gotten so serious, that he's lost four months of rest, every symptom from sleep deprivation is present. Though if she decides to go two out of three, and the muscle weakness is going to lay him out."

"Before he can get out of the shaft a second time and she tries this and he's not leaving at all, because as yourselves, you know him better than he knows himself. And with that in mind right now, if he's the target to make sure that does get to earth and further into the federation." he said and he nodded firmly to the news at that. "We got company coming in the morning, who is it?" Anenzi asked and he explained that to him quickly.

"It's Dr. Pulaski, and someone with her, but the command is sending back up at the moment. But with you clear now, just act like you're still compromised when the Doctor comms you in the morning. Wesley created himself a kit with everything that was needed, and has taken refuge in my quarters, to eat and rest for the night. And Dr. Crusher's fatal mistake is that she had everything he needed to create his first aid kit."

"And he replicated the rest of it, but he replicated every vitamin on that list you read out and created MRE's to fill in the nutritional gaps in his diet and a months worth of vitamins. But he's going to create caches in several spots, before the system is back on line later this afternoon." he said and Anenzi nodded, impressed. "Well that explains why he went to his mother's medicine cabinet, because us doctors keep our own supplies."

"For our families and he knew this and ransacked his mother's office in their quarters to the moment just to get supplies. How many of those stimulant injection syringes did he create?" he asked and Data explained that to him. "12 each of the one I created for him, and 12 of the general stimulant ones with just epinephrine and minerals in it. And if he took another, he took one quick one and used it before getting into my quarters."

"As he created the MRE's with everything he was missing from his diet vitamin wise at the moment. But everything that a teenager that had a parent who was a medical expert would be living off on in dietary requirements was involved in it. That's including a very fast recharge, before taking the next dose." he said and the doctor nodded. "Smart move son, if I was myself, I'd have said do this immediately as would your mother."

"Data would this be considered being behind enemy lines and his training scenarios have now turned real, just to do this. If he chose now to start playing radio pranks on the sextet with him undercover?" he asked and Data nodded and he sighed in bemusement at that. "Very funny cub, but the pranks with the false alarms are getting annoying right now, take a break for now will you." The orderly said with a chuckle as Anenzi said it.

"If the captain and commander were themselves right now they'd be finding that funny, but they'd also say to take a break and deal with the adrenaline crashes. But what's the added side effect here." he asked and they heard a crash ring out from the wall in answer to that. Before an immediate alarm went off at that, " ** _Security, check the Jeffries tubes."_** he heard from Will and nodded as he smiled at that as he finished.

"Nice case of misdirection in that one, while they're checking the tube tunnels, Wes is in your quarters, two decks below them. And getting some rest after the adrenaline surge caved on him, after eating something, taking a shower and taking a sleeping pill. He needs to sleep this off now in order to keep going tomorrow, but whatever was in his MRE's is clear and by eating a real meal gives the recharge, before the next step."

"By taking the general stimulate syringes, but before you do that eat something first or you're going to make yourself sick. I'm lucky my patient is the son of a fellow medical doctor, he knows these things at the moment. Alright again, Data, you head for ten forward and the lounges, we're leaving the sickbay secured for the night. So she doesn't realize that sickbay is clean, but everywhere else needed, including the lounge."

"It's we create the added pockets of resistance on the ship, before we hit the engineering room in the morning. What's his plan: get them, the commander and Worf, out of the room by being in deck 7, section 23. Than meet you and Kate down there after he uses the Jeffries tubes to get in there. Because using Danar's tactics in reverse are going to work, if she hasn't realized it till he hits that move." he said and Data nodded to him.

"At the moment, you better have a look at what they gathered right now, regarding research on this device." he said and and he nodded as he moved to interface and activated it. "Jesus, alright I see why he reported it, was that a mistake or on purpose?" the orderly asked and he explained that. "It was a trap, get her to lose face in front of him." The guard said as he smiled as he got it then as Data answered that.

"Yes Doctor, but my modifications on the palm beacon and getting it on to every adult on the ship, it must be done by the engineering crew. After I free them, but if we get the most crucial spots, than all that's left are the pawns as he's gathered all the key pieces and disabled them now in this chess game." he said and Anenzi nodded to him. "Alright get to ten forward next and then hit the lounges." he said and Data nodded to him.

"What orders did Lieutenant Porter give Derek exactly anyway, because I heard a furious tone in Charlie's voice during the fight over the radio?" he asked and Anenzi sighed. "To stay off the channel and to get back to his quarters, the only junior crew members that were supposed to be on duty tonight were the trio. Before she targeted Wes, why exactly?" He asked and he explained that to him, knowing he was going to be furious.

"Wes said that if any junior ensign who was newly activated was running loose in the hallways, that he got caught he was in serious trouble. Because that's reckless endangerment and we already discussed this situation with Derek. When we activated his training and with those words in mind right now, I think he decided to. Rather than follow orders, to try and deal with this on his own, as to why I'm saying that right now."

"I ran into Cadet Hanson in the hallway a bit ago, looks like he ignored orders given to him by Porter to report to his quarters. Because I sedated him and put him in restraints and he's asleep in the medical lab right now. I also hit him with the cure a bit ago as well. But I let him have it for breaking orders, Doctor." he said and they nodded. "I take it he was trying to arrest Wesley himself?" The nurse asked and he nodded to her.

"Lovely, he was trying to arrest Wes and ends up getting arrested by you for reckless endangerment. He's lucky though that it was you and not Roga Danar, because that's as reckless as it gets. Well he just blew his training lesson now and wait till the captain hears this later, because he's still under scrutiny for three altercations and five drunken outbursts the last year, since Wes left for the academy at the time."

"And then nearly kills Charlie last month for a drunken outburst, whatever books that the kids are dragging into it are going to come in handy. But if Charlie already made his choice in suitors for Robin, he chose Wes and the trio are becoming more bonded by the minute. And while I'm on the subject he's still in hot water for not watching her sons when we were at Ogus II last year, but that's going too far right now."

"I mean the captain made it very clear as did the entire senior staff crew when he started training at the time." The orderly said to him as the the nurse answered him at that. "But we had zero tolerance for showing off, hotdogging, going by his gut instincts or his trying to act like a hero. And definitely not when in the middle of crisis, if had been Roga Danar or anyone else even more dangerous than you and Wes."

"That he encountered the hallway, that could have gotten him killed or turned into a hostage tonight. But that's as reckless as it gets, we've told the kids repeatedly that when it came to dangerous situations, to leave it to us." Marie Potts added to him in shocked disgust and he nodded in agreement. ** _"It gets better actually Lieutenant Potts, because I did a rough scan on Derek Hanson, and his BAC's are back up."_**

 ** _"And whatever drugs he was on that you're trying to get him off of is back at a dangerous level, but he's intoxicated. And he was carry a phaser set at maximum stun, so we got to him, before he ran into anyone else. But he's in the medical lab."_ ** Lal said and they nodded to that. "I'm lucky you were monitoring the halls at the moment, but how close was Wes to passing out, before he got to his quarters."

"Because if that subterfuge is any indication, he's running on fumes and the amount drained was enough to exhaust him after its lasted this long right now?" Anenzi asked and she explained that. ** _"If he hadn't stopped and sat down when in T-95 earlier, he would landed directly on top of the two. That Lieutenant Porter found sitting on the table, but my scan of the level he drained was 20% of the amount."_**

 ** _"In his system right now, but the repeated climbing up and down the ship is enough to exhaust him. Now at the current moment, but he's sleeping off the epinephrine dose he just took in. And father got him to take a sleeping pill, so he's asleep at the current moment."_ ** she said and he nodded. "Alright if you got a link to your quarters, I need to see him, this way I can monitor him from here."

"Because this much physical exertion, in recovery, it's going to have him falling asleep on his feet after an intense workout like this." he said and a minute later they saw him lying in the bed with the cat asleep next to him before she shifted position and left her head on his shoulder. As they heard a gentle purring coming from the orange tabby and he hid a smile at that, as he saw him in a deep sleep as the nurses exchanged smiles.

"I take it Spot decided on guard duty tonight, if she's curled up next to him?" the nurse asked with a slight smile at that. "By the sound of her purring, I think he's the first to get past her shields at the moment, in the kids, though she starts acting like this around the trio. I think she prefers kids to us adults, and secondly she's knows he's a friend of Data's and he sees him as a son, after we helped raise him and she saw the photos."

"Sitting on the desk or bookshelf, so to her, she knows he's a surrogate son to Data, and to her that means he's an adopted kitten now that she has to protect. Until the rest of the ship is free from the programming right now. She possibly also knows that Derek had an adverse reaction to, in her eyes. The catnip he's screwing around with lately right now, if she gave him a warning growl tonight." the guard said to her and Data gently.

As they watched her press her forehead to his and they chuckled. "Yeah she's acting acting like a mother cat regarding her kittens right now. If whoever tries to catch him off guard once the entire ship is clean, is just asking to get the heck scratched out of them. Because she's going mother cat regarding her kittens with him right now." Allysa Ogawa said with a slight smile and Data gave a nod to her as he answered her gently.

As he said it then. "Yes, but the adrenaline caved a bit ago, and he's taken a sedative, so he's out for the entire night." he said and she nodded as the security guard said it for the four of them gently. "That's it son, just rest, you've done enough for one night, we can take it from here now. Save your strength, you need to rest cub." the guard said to him gently and Anenzi nodded as he said it then as he read it out then to the trio then.

"If this was 20th century at the moment, he's following the medical orders I'd have given out at the moment, but he's lost weight, slightly high blood pressure. He's been in detox ever since he stopped taking whatever it was that had him looking like this. But he took the medical orders I'd have given out and once he's out of the danger zone. And we're getting the weight he lost back on him at the moment." he said and she sighed then.

 ** _"He's not the only patient you have to deal with right now doctor, whatever you had him in rehab for, by that I mean Derek Hanson. It's he just suffered another attack in the added effects here."_ ** she said and he nodded. "Just what was his BAC levels exactly if you told your father and he put him under. And just before he freed us from her control, because he's been in recovery for the better part now."

"Of three months and in the time we had him in training here at the moment, I know you can't read minds right now. But is the reason he decided to try this was so he could get some recognition by the duo and the fact that. Despite the fact that Charlie, Lieutenant Porter and the captain ordered him to stand down right now. Because he wasn't supposed to be on duty at all right now, in fact he's on light duty at the moment."

"Because he has a reaction to one of the drugs he's been screwing around with and just barely killed Charlie last month in the outburst. Just before we arrested him to get him in detox." he said firmly and he heard a sigh. **_"Well_** ** _Derek Hanson needs a serious medical guard on him just to put an end to this right now. Lieutenant Porter said that's the second time in three months, since he was activated."_**

 _ **"I'm not sure what it is with his determination in this, but from the way Charlie spoke to him. I'm thinking that it's serious, but he's crossing health lines not meant to be crossed right now."**_ she said and he nodded in agreement. "You're right it is, but he's been in rehab for the last three of the five months. That we activated him at the time here, but he's one of the kids on the team Walters reported to me."

"Walters said until his players were clean no one is playing at all, of the quintet Jacob Kurland reported to us at the moment." he said and Data answered him. "Yes well at the moment, the second I said I was bringing him to you. He tried to backtrack and said he'd go back to his quarters for the night, but with him like this, there's no compromise. He wasn't supposed to be on duty and Porter decided on giving out medical orders."

"For you, and to us it was either he was coming to sickbay or we sedated him and you told her to get him in here once you, and your team, were back to normal. But once the effects give out right now on that sedative, he sees you and it's going to be a repeater, if the effects of that comedown result in another fight." he said and Anenzi nodded. "Yes and if he said he could focus and return to his quarters, I'm not buying it right now."

"He's scared that once I saw him, it's he's back under medical arrest and detox, but this is the second time in less then a month. If I'm reading this correctly with the programming, he's relieved our focus is off him and on Wes for once. But Wes, he's a medical, science and engineering prodigy as well, so to him. The only way to counteract the jolts is by taking in something that has the right amount of both stimulates in it."

"We can wean him off the amount in his system by the right foods, and the occasional piece of junk food that has the right amount of both in it. His is easy at the best of times, but it's when switching from that to something that takes months to recover from. That's when you got a right to be worried, because your teenage patient. They crossed a few medical lines they shouldn't have and they're in rehab till they're completely clean."

"Which was something these guys screwing around with drugs and ethanol don't understand right now. But that makes four cases of speedballing with the ethanol in 18 months, Derek, come on kid, that's enough. Your body can't take this type of abuse in the withdrawal and recovery repeatedly, now cool it already. Damn it not again, son how many times do we have to do this, Lal site to site transport, get him in here."

"Because if he's already sedated, we have to monitor the come down right now, that kid is pushing his body past the breaking point just to get noticed by the duo. And that's crossing the line after Walters ordered 5 of the 25 players on hold, because they're off the team till they're clean." Anenzi said to that in shock. "Once I told him that the second the programming breaks on you, and I don't mean just you, but the entire grouping."

"In general, but that the second it breaks that you're back to normal, and you heard this news and learned he did it again this soon after the last seizure and adverse reaction. And he just nearly had a panic attack when he heard that news." Data told him then and he nodded. "I see why, because now that our normal personalities have reasserted themselves, our concentration shifted back to the right teenage patient as well."

"With Wes, it's going to be easy now as he can drain it by exercise, though that's if he doesn't make his situation worse by daredevil stunts tomorrow. Though he does and whatever it was he tried, if he doesn't do it right, could blow out whatever joint he landed on. If he doesn't stay off of it, especially if it was his ankle he landed on." The orderly said and Anenzi nodded to him in agreement as he answered him gently at that

"But of the duo, Wes's is the most tolerable at the best of times and as a medical and science prodigy. It's he knows how to counteract the spasms given by the caffeine when in detox. But Derek on the other hand, his was a case of true drugs and ethanol and it's not just detox, it's draining the poisons from his body completely. And to him he knows that we heard and learned he did it again for the second time in just short of a month."

"It means that for him he's facing a enforced medical intervention and detox just to get it out of his system right now. To us we already discussed another forced detox, but to him it's enough, that the pain of that is something no teenager wants to have to go through this soon after the last one. Wes, in his case it's not as serious, if he took care of the spasms because only the right kind of junk food can take the edge off of it in that area."

"But Derek, weaning him off that level is not an option, and I'm a rehab doctor, it's either cold turkey or he's sedated until the worst of that detox is over." he said with a sigh and Data nodded as he answered him. "Trying it this soon after the last reaction, it's a withdrawal and rebound in speedballing with the ethanol right now. And she said he was on the edge of a collapse before I got a good look at him and the duo said the same."

"We finally decided enough was enough and made your decision for you tonight, Dr. Anenzi, but he's getting that rest period whether he wants it or not at the moment." Data said and he nodded in agreement. "We may have to do the same for Wes, if that withdrawal causes him to black out or whatever she downloaded into his headset. But every symptom in this is suggesting he's on the edge of a relapse, he's on light duty."

"Till further notice after we're all clear of the effects of these, fortunately caffeine is less potent that drugs, but if those pills. Or whatever they are have more then caffeine in them that explains his complexion right now, judging by what this says. But he needs three months of rest and three more just to get it out of his system. And I'm just saying it now, but he's on medical sabbatical for 18 months here." he said and Data nodded.

"Yeah well I hope it doesn't come down to what I'm thinking right now at the moment here. But if this read out says anything it suggests he's on the median and one more issue like this situation and he's going to have a relapse. If he was the latest patient arrival at that psychiatric ward, he's one attack away from having a relapse. At the moment here if it drains his strength completely later on, but this is going too far."

"These kids are either working over time or just trying to push the limit further then we'd let them right now. But that type of delirium in this case if his blackout connects to this, it's enough we've got to pull an intervention later. But this says Wes was trying to block out his connection to whoever the host was he was connected to. In the last few months, and went to over use of the stimulates just to do it." Potts said and they nodded firmly.

"Well I think this was the added stress at the moment between whoever his peers are, but I'd say this was the result of both. But I doubt he would have done this, if he wasn't trying to block us out at the time. But if he had to do this because the rest of us were compromised and I don't think he was alone. But at the moment I don't think Wes had a choice here at the moment, regarding this and with him was Robin at the moment."

"Though despite the fact Eric told him to stand down, he still breaks orders, wait till the sextet hear this, it's enough that they're going to be furious at this." The guard said to her and she nodded in agreement as Data answered him. "The duo, and possibly trio, didn't have a choice in the matter tonight, but yes. That's what I said when I arrested him, but there's got to be a drawback at the moment, Lieutenants Ford, Potts."

"But at the moment the trio didn't have a choice in the matter tonight, and before you say it, I already have given him a reprimand for that and waiting till now to tell us he wasn't up to this. But his excuse for doing like he, is possibly going to be repeated by the duo once everyone is clear of that programming. But to get back to the problem at hand, if he tried to arrest him there's likely more to her back up plan than we know."

"And as to why I'm saying that, if she had a secondary plan or more than one attempt to get it into the federation and off the enterprise, it's by having added programming into it. But if this one didn't work it's by getting a secondary program downloaded and try to get this game back on the duo, though I heard the conversation between Wes and Charlie. It sounded like Charlie was actually telling him where the security team pairs were."

"And from the sound of Charlie's voice, he was trying to keep from laughing a bit ago." he said they nodded as the orderly thought it over and then the guard started laughing. "We just got double crossed by our young Cubs at the moment, the reason he sounded like that was because he pulled a bait and switch. So by making sure all the teams were accounted for and while the ten of us are scattered to every public area on the ship."

"Wes knows where all of us are and he's avoiding these areas and decided to take refuge in your quarters tonight. Charlie was the plant in this, though he can't act on his own without getting caught, he can give him advice and inside information. And Derek just did it himself by accident at the moment, but Wes and Charlie are acting as partners. And if Robin's acting wasn't genuine, but faked, she was acting as the bait earlier."

"The trio are in this together, Charlie did what the duo did, before this manhunt started, and by giving us this suggestion. It's he was really telling Wes where the teams were hiding when we're split up in pairs, nice touch cub. You really out maneuvered her tonight, but time to take it down several notches. And before you completely annoy the opposition at the moment kiddo, because this many bait and switches."

"Getting into a fight over the radio and having constant conversations over the radio is tying up the line. And you keep that up and you're going to get yourself into trouble Charlie, so take it down a notch right now. But Eric was right, Wes has more sense than to go completely reckless when he's too exhausted to think straight, so he resting now. But again, this is getting ridiculous guys, so take it down a notch tonight, will you."

"Boys, it's time to rest and then get started again in the morning, you're still just Cubs, and it's our job to take care of you and not the other way around. Wes, I hope you don't over do it tomorrow and get in touch with us. But that's enough screwing around with the radio and the prank phone calls tonight, so cool it already you guys, it's time to rest now, get some sleep." He said smiling, and the doctor nodded with a chuckle.

"Lal do a play back of his conversations with Derek, Picard and Riker, we have to make sure right now, start with the first idea he had and move it further." He said and in answer to that the image appeared. **_"Sirs, I recommend we put the Turbolifts back on line, he sees them working he may try to use them. As soon as he does, we have him."_** he heard from Dayton and smiled as he heard from Will at that remark.

 ** _"Yes he's right, Lieutenant Evans, put the Turbolifts back online, he sees them working. He may try to use them, soon as he does, we have him, Captain."_** he heard from Will and smiled at the remark. "It's a trap, running this into our chess game with Danar, but Wes simulated several explosions. In making it seem like he was Danar, just to get them to remember what went off at the time." The guard said smiling at that.

 ** _"Indeed, Lieutenant Evans reactivate the Turbolifts and put them back on line."_** he said and nodded smiling. 'Yes do that guys, do it, like Wes knows you better then you know yourselves, it's simple here. But you've just fallen into the exact trap you made back then, and with that, Etana, you're never going to win this game. When Cub is even better then you are in knowing us." he added as they waited for the results then gently.

"Guys seriously right now these decisions in these ideas, if you keep them up you're going to scare us into a heart attack." The nurse said as they heard Hanson's question turned suggestion then. **_"Why waste time in doing that exactly, Lieutenant, if this was me,_** ** _I'd dodge a security team and head for ten forward here."_** they heard and a second later they heard Dayton tone of protective annoyance then at the remark.

 ** _"It's because he's not that reckless, and he knows we're waiting to ambush him if he did try that,_** ** _Hanson, and with that. Get off the damn channel, you're tying up the line, we need to keep this channel clear right now. And to answer your suggestion right now in this game at the moment, as he considers it._** ** _The game doesn't have two options, let alone three, but four options to choose from."_**

 ** _"And the first 3 are resulting in the expansion the 4th is a win, and he knows that as well. It's that clear buddy boy, and with that in mind, to keep from getting arrested it's by survival and stealth training. And not by recklessness, because getting reckless gets you captured. So if you intend to be a Starfleet officer you need more then your muscles you need your mind as well."_**

 ** _"To survive in space you need every subject in high school, not just physical education, if you're jealous of me or Crusher, you better get over it. You have a lot to learn in order to be an effective officer and the first step is by careful strategy and knowing your opponent. But know your enemy and you defeat them, pal, again if you want to continue your training now at the moment."_**

 ** _"Then you have to look at all the options here right now and without getting reckless and again get off the damn channel."_** he snapped at him sternly, before he heard the other boy snap back at him at that as the orderly and guard shook their heads at this. "Fight 1 over the radio, his tone is made clear, he's thinking just like Wes is at the moment and I don't have to hear the words, but Wes said the same thing prior to that."

"Cubs, they maybe nineteen, but they still act act like teenagers, in high school and the duo are so much alike. I think this could be considered a case of double trouble if we have to do this a second time. But if they keep up the prank phone calls tomorrow or in training and the commander is going to lose it this time. Because this is getting ridiculous tonight." The nurse said as she started laughing at the way the duo worked.

"And I think our Cubs are too smart for their own good right now, but this has gone passed good and straight to dangerously clever right now." Anenzi said to that with an amused smile on his face at this. "They maybe nineteen, but to us crew members of earth, cubs are Cubs no matter how old they get at the moment. The duo are so much alike that if they keep this up the commander is going to have a heart attack."

"Out of getting the life scared out of him, if whatever his plan is next switches from careful planning and switches to daredevil stunts at the moment next." she said and he nodded in agreement as Data said it. "Yes and I recommend that you lock down sickbay until morning, these over rode the need for sleep. And food, and you must be rested for things later this morning." Data said and Anenzi nodded in agreement to that remark.

"Yes, alright everyone in here, replicate your own supplies for the night, if you're earthborn human's, standard camping supplies. We're spending the night in here, and guys, be on the look out for any nervous reactions, Jerry, you and Ron keep an eye and you guys. If the secondary programming activates and I know there is too, it's got to come with some sort of nervous reaction, so Anthony, Ben, I needed added back up."

"Because there's got to be some sort of side effect to these things and we need to keep an eye on that for tonight. Because if these were like the side effects of ethanol or drugs it's detox and we need to watch for any sign of an outburst. Thompson, Wilcox, you let me know if any of the people in here are on the edge of it." he said and Data looked up at that as he sighed as he said it to him, as he looked at the guards.

"Alright keep it going Lal, I want to hear to this, now that I'm back to being myself again, God Cubs, seriously, was this really necessary to start a bickering match over the radio. And during a manhunt at the halfway point, because normally we'd be finding this funny, if we were ourselves right now in training. But this has gone passed training and right to real guys, now can it already." The guard standing next to him said with a chuckle.

As they heard the next remark then, and knowing he was getting irritated at him. **_"Hanson, this not the time for this, he's recovering from a case of blood loss and he's in no condition for an ambush. So if you're really that reckless that's a way to push him into a collapse right now at the moment. With one scare and panic attack thanks to MacGregor, and adding this to it. But this is going too far right now so back off, you have no clue what you're doing here right now."_**

 ** _"And he's needing a quiet place to rest after that right now anyway, as to why, with him to exhausted to keep going he's already collapsed and in the process ended up getting hurt. Captain, the reason he found that blood smear in the hatch and wall is because of the explosion, the added sections. But T-95 was a previous explosion site, all over that tunnel section was left over shrapnel."_**

 ** _"And it was from the source of his inspiration, the memory you forgot had blown up that terminal knocking out the external sensors and as a result._** ** _The last explosion we had in there left shrapnel all over the place, after two years it's rusted, he needed a tetanus shot to head of an infection and went to self induced medical care."_** he said and he heard Picard answer him at that remark.

 ** _"Are you sure about that, Ensign Dayton?"_** he asked quickly and he heard a sigh as he answered him. _**"Aye Sir, we may not have checked it, since Commander La Forge fixed that terminal, but with emergency lighting it's still too dark to see anything in there. With us cutting off any access to get anything to eat and the previous dose was giving out, he collapsed in that tunnel and landed on a few."**_

 ** _"Before he got to his quarters and by then his pants leg was soaked in blood and he went to self healing. Before getting to work on added applications regarding this. But I'm a medical born, he's a medical born, if our positions were in reverse, I'd do what he did. If fact, if I was him, I'd hide in one of the unoccupied crew quarters right now."_** he told him and Wesley nodded to the orders.

 ** _"Are you just trying to show off Dayton, he never even told you this._** ** _How do you know his frame of mind to know what he's doing!"_ ** he said coldly at him and the doctor answered that with a firm tone. "Simple enough, it's because he's just like Wes, they're two sides of the same coin, Charlie's credentials at the academy. And his STA's, the scores were through the roof at the time, it's that simple right now."

"But know your enemy and you defeat them kiddo, he's reading his mind." Anenzi said with a gentle tone to that. **_"Because we're two sides of the same whole Hanson, he thinks like I do. But everything he is I share and we're the two sides of the same warrior, I know how thinks because everything he does. I would do to get this far right now, but we're half soldier/half scientist, but that's how it is."_**

 ** _"And with you being a very fresh recruit as well Hanson, you want to catch your quarry you have to think how he does to know what he's doing. Anticipating their next moves, why else would he use chess metaphors when talking to the duo. But because he knows how they think and that's how he's evaded being captured this at the moment, it's a classic catch to a tactician here."_**

 ** _"For this long, it's know your enemy and you defeat them, we can do it because we've been in training for years here. So with that, we're model student officers, because we anticipate them, t_** ** _hey know how we think. We know how they think, that's what makes a good working machine, I know his strategy. Because everything he's doing I'd do the same and we'd never get captured."_**

 ** _"And unfortunately, that's what's got the adult crew into this mess in the first place at the current moment. And while you're slacking off in class, we've got the job of making sure here nobody gets hurt, while you're flying the damn ship or worse right now at the moment. That you don't get yourself killed if we have anyone else working and involved in this, if his inspiration was on the ship."_**

 ** _"And with those words in mind, stand right now, Hanson, this is not the time for this right now. But I'm making it very clear here, you even try to go against orders and you lost your shot, get off the damn line right now and get to your quarters. The only ones on duty tonight are me, Crusher and Lefler, Ensign Kurland you better take a break, stand down now Ensign, and Hanson."_**

 ** _"Stay out of this!"_** he snapped and before Porter could answer, he heard the other boy snap back at him at that. ** _"You're not the one in charge Dayton."_** he snarled and he heard a thump as Dayton growled in anger at that. **_"I don't care if I am or not, I'm a senior ensign, you're a basic training, translated you're a cadet, we're training ensigns. I'm your superior, so again, get off the damn channel right now."_**

 ** _"Or so help me god, I find out you broke orders and you've lost your shot, get off the damn channel right now, cadet. You're newly activated, we've been at since we were 15, so stay out of this and I'm not kidding. Aside from that you're also on medical stand down, and you're not supposed to be on duty anyway. So get off the damn channel right now and get to your quarters."_**

 ** _"And I mean it too Hanson, you even try to get involved in this and you're being jumped now stand right now, cadet."_** he snapped and and the guard nodded. "Well if that's not enough to irritate Eric nothing is, and it's because we prefer intellect over athletics as does the captain right now." he said as they heard Porter end the fight at that as he injected a stern tone into his voice as he barked out orders at that.

 ** _"Alright that's enough out of both of you, Ensign Dayton, we appreciate the help, but we can take it from here. And Cadet Hanson, I'm making it very clear here, but you try and get involved in this. And whoever he's stalling for is the one arresting you, for reckless endangerment, this is not a game it's serious._** ** _So stand down right now, and I'm warning you, if I find out you got arrested."_**

 ** _"Because you did it again_** ** _and tried to get involved and you're ending up back in sickbay, bcause we had all we can take from you. In regarding medical arrests, we catch you and that's it, clear?"_** he said and Anenzi nodded. "Yeah they're furious alright, he can't stay off the damn radio no matter how many we say we need to keep the channel clear." he said as they heard Hanson's quick remark to that reprimand.

 ** _"But Sir I know how he thinks, you need my help to catch him."_ ** he said and Picard said it sternly at that remark. **_"No we don't young man, in situations like this leave it to the skilled professionals and Mr. Crusher is very correct, you get involved. And if we have whoever his inspiration was, catches you,_** ** _that turns it into a hostage situation and it's a hindrance rather then a help, mister."_**

 ** _"So again, stay out of this cadet, and as if that's not enough you're still under medical watch right now. And I'm warning you right now, trying it this soon after the last one is way too dangerous, so again. If whoever he's waiting for catches you and you're ending up in sickbay under medical watch. Now get to your quarters and stay there, Mr. Hanson."_** he snapped at him sternly then at that.

"Alright push it forward to before Data freed us, Eric and Brian, Lal, because we need to see how he pulled it off in preventing the guys. In checking your quarters for him tonight until the time ends here at the moment." The nurse said and a second later that conversation appeared then, as they saw him focusing in gentle concentration. **_"I doubt he'd choose one of our quarters what with the fact everyone's looking for him."_**

 ** _"But the first to get hit were you, Sir, followed by Counselor Troi and then Doctor Crusher, the android gets deactivated. And immediately following that was by Lieutenant Worf, Commander La Forge and you getting affected captain. With 5,000+ places to hide right now it could take a while and especially with the system out of our hands and in his right now, so we got, going by this."_**

 **"15 hours until the system returns to our control, so seven hours nap and rest and then relocate somewhere else. With the seven of you out of your rooms and on the bridge or the engineering room, I'd choose one of your quarters to spend the night in."** they heard Dayton say and Anenzi nodded as he translated that. "Reverse psychology, she think she knows human ways, when he's leading her into a trap."

"Charlie gave him the exact sequence, regarding how that thing infected first the senior staff crew and then the rest of us at the time this week. 5,000+ places to hide, including the tunnels to get around, he could be anywhere and it could take close to a week to find him. And by then Kate and whoever's coming with her is here, you just hit all the hotspots and the game's over by mid to late afternoon." Potts said and he nodded to her.

"He was telling him he had time for a 7 to 8 hour rest and food break, and with 30% of the crew on duty tonight searching for a way to end that lock out or the chip that. Charlie is also telling him to extend the time limit until later on this afternoon, but right now, should take cover in someone's quarters with everyone either on duty or locked into their rooms right now." Anenzi added and Data nodded as they heard the next one.

Hearing his tone gently, the guard smiled as he explained it to them as he went over it. "If I was him the decoy is that the brown outs are the reason for why your equipment went nuts." he said as they heard him say that. _ **"Sirs, I did some swift scans after the simulated explosions in T-95, a bit ago.** **It seems that it terminated the power in certain situations areas of the ship, and one of said area."**_

 _ **"That it did was is in the android's quarters,**_ _ **causing the equipment to go berserk in there.**_ ** _And our A.I., she also terminated the power in his quarters and is dealing with taking care of the cat._** ** _And with him disabled right now at the current moment, so she's dealing with his cat right now._** ** _But as a result of the explosion, the bugs in the system are erratic at the current moment,_**

 ** _"And to the point it's screwing with the replicator and_** ** _his shower, so if we have a sudden equipment use in there,_** ** _it's because of several bugs in the system,_** ** _thanks to the simulated explosion._** **Though at the moment, if what he told us was true regarding several leftover shards in that shaft."** Dayton said and she smiled as she answered they remark with a gentle chuckle then at that.

"Nice touch in explaining that one, but then to protect him it's by making it seem like the sudden simulated explosions are the reason we have frequent brown outs right now. And with it at the moment is the fact they don't realize you're preparing to free us right now at the current moment. But Wes is in your quarters taking a shower and getting something to eat while replicating a sleeping pill." she said in response to that smiling

 **"And despite a very fresh surgery, it's clear why he headed for the med lab with sickbay now in our hands and us blocking off his apartment."** Dayton said and he watched Picard nod as he answered him. ** _"What's the said reason exactly?"_** he asked him and he explained that to him. **_"So he could take a shower and get into some clean clothes as he recovers from the adrenaline come down and sugar crash."_**

 ** _"So I think after he left the lab he decided to bunk somewhere for the night, as this trip to the lab was for a secondary dose in the general stimulate cocktail. Before he replicated another candy bar or something, before he gets into where he's sleeping for the night."_** he said and the nurse nodded. "That was you in there getting the pulse beacon set up, as you lead them in a new direction tonight."

"Before freeing first Eric and his team mate and then us." she said and he nodded as Will said it. **_"Alright, so what do you suggest right now, Ensign?"_ ** he asked and Dayton explained . **_"With all personnel not involved in the search, those rooms are left out of it._** ** _So of 5,000+ places to hide, half of those, including the android's quarters, are left out of the equation, as the doors are all locked."_**

 ** _"But half that number would take 10 to 15 hours to search until the clock on that timer ends by that point. So we just leave the rooms set for in case he decides to go in there, or decides to head back to his quarters now. But keep a few medic's in al public areas with with guards and everyone else in there."_ ** he said and Wesley knew they nodded to that as he said it for all of them at that.

 ** _"Alright everyone stay put in the areas they're in, and be on the alert, all rooms not involved in the search. Dr. Anenzi, I want you to dispatch three medic's, each, to all public areas, but stay on your guard in case he comes in there. But all public areas be on the look out for both him and Cadet Hanson right now. Or Hanson's friends if they decide to get involved, I want them out of the search."_**

 ** _"And that's including the areas we have set up, but all areas that are locked are left out of the search for the night. And the android's quarters and all personnel, take them out the equation, lieutenant. So until the timer ends, it's doing a manual systematic search of every room, so it's going to be a very long 15 hours now."_** Picard said and they nodded then as they ended it at that, smiling.

"Nice work in team work guys, that's really good right now, but now it's time to rest you guys, you've done enough for one night. Us adults can take it from here for the rest of the night, you just save your strength now, you need to rest, Cubs." Anenzi said with a gentle smile at how well their working together was paying off as he said it to Data, as he thought over the next few steps and areas they had to clear then before morning.


	13. 13: Ten Forward And Mutiny Take II

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs tome and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Warnings:** **Sorry everyone, I lost 80% of this chapter I have to redo it, but the rest of the story is still there so it's going to be back on the wall. Just as soon as I finish this chapter and get a replacement chapter 11 up, but the added numbers are going to result in 20 chapters. As this story focuses on the Game, and the next one focuses on the aftermath to it and leading the next Episode.**

 **Chapter 13: Freeing Ten Forward And Attempted Mutiny Take II**

"Yeah alright again, head for ten forward, do them and the lounges next, Lal activate emergency codes of emergency shelter areas. As of now Sickbay is going into lock down and activate supplies as needed for us." Anenzi said as the room flashed blue and they nodded. "I take it that's to keep Counselor Troi from digging into our emotions and realizing we're back to normal now?" The guard asked and he nodded and they nodded.

"Nice touch, the cub thought of everything with Lal still in the system right now, didn't he." The orderly said with a gentle chuckle and he nodded. "Well that just proves the point to what we keep telling kids like Hanson right now at the moment. Wes is following every single guideline to get through a manhunt in a conspiracy. But Derek tries to find Wes to arrest him and gets arrested in two hours by one of the teachers in this test."

"By not following orders, disobeying a direct order, fooling around with the toxic chemicals. Insubordination, resisting arrest, there's no getting out of it, once the sextet are back to normal, the captain is denying him that promotion to full ensign. And handing the promotion and title of second in command of the junior crew over to Charlie, because he, Robin, Wes and Lal did it together." Potts said and they nodded to that.

"I think she thinks he coming in through the ventilation shaft, so best to use that against her right now. If this read out like anything it's the act of using her assumptions against her when the people she's using as drones and controlling are our own. But as the wise man said, 'know your enemy and know yourself. And you shall win 100 battles without disaster.'. And with those words in mind right now at the current moment here."

"We've all been together for so long that we can anticipate each other and we know each other better then ever. So with that we know the added side effects and with it we can anticipate each other in every move. But this is playing an oversized chess game and Wes knows us better then we know ourselves when we were programmed so we use that against her now." Anenzi said and he nodded as he answered him gently at that remark.

"Indeed, but the second I leave the room, trigger that lockdown, and disable the door docks, on your side of the door, A/V mode turned off. And sound proof the entire room and doors, and then re-engage the empath blocking system to prevent her from realizing I just did you next." he said and they nodded as he left the room and headed for Ten forward then as he arrived at the side of the door then he said it gently to her.

"Lal, turn out the lights in there." he said and he heard a shout at that. "What the hell!" he heard a member of the group in the room shout as he came in. And hit all of them with several bursts each, as he looked at Guinan first as she tore it off her head. And leaned forward in exhaustion against the counter as he gently moved to her. As the others either sat down in chairs or sat on the stairs then as they leaned forward.

"You alright Guinan?" he asked and she nodded in exhaustion as she answered him. "Yes, but what a head rush, we've been exposed to that thing for just under a week. Let me take a guess this was like whatever virus that had everyone suffering from high body temperatures and losing total control of themselves. Because their judgement was almost completely impaired at the time, right?" she said and he nodded to her gently.

"Computer run our diagnostics, if he said that our symptoms show the clear indication of stimulate abuse." The orderly next to him said firmly and it appeared on the Strategema console table as he read through each person's diagnostics then and sighed. "Slight signs of malnutrition and exhaustion, but we're not showing it to levels he is. Well for us, we can take care of ourselves, but he needs us taking care of him now at the moment."

"But this was no mistake it's on purpose right now, make him worse by draining his strength and to continue with the intention of getting that thing into the federation. And by turning him into a ticking time bomb by causing his system to impact and crash. But we have a guard looking like the man who kidnapped him and the sextet on board. And there has to be two more pockets to this right now." the ensign next to him said to that.

"It's a combination of that and the conspiracy that killed Captain Keel, but the trio replicated the captain, commander and Dr. Crusher's positions. Which is why this was taking so long right now, but everything we ever taught him about there being a foothold or manhunt on board the ship. He used for it, but he's just demonstrated the point we keep trying to tell children like Derek right now." Data said and they nodded, bemused.

"The lesson my double told her class and Jean Luc and I keep telling kids like Marks and Derek, Wes has the highest aptitude in moving up the ranks. That by the time he's 25, he's going to be the youngest captain in the history of Starfleet later." she said and he nodded as she went on, before he answered her. "This wasn't a coincidence it was right on schedule, they chose the week he was coming home." he told her and she nodded.

"Alright, that virus and the conspiracy combined together, we have a guard on board that looks like a younger version of the Aldean leader. She chose this week to try it by getting it on Will, and if we have a K'tarian in the academy that's the entire conspiracy right there, right now. " she said to him and he nodded. "It's an alliance of different planets and they're intending on an incursion into Starfleet." he said and she nodded to him.

"And it had to be our ship that was the turned into the cell to cause a foothold into the federation right now, alright if I have this right, and if what Wes was saying was true. As well, then this was try three to get an incursion into the federation, but the science station that Maxwell destroyed along with the supply ship. And the battle cruisers, before we stopped him, they were carrying these, and he destroyed a third of the amount."

"Try two was by getting us into a war with the Klingons by killing the Klingon leader that was on the ship and by turning Geordi into an assassin. And this was try three by turning the enterprise into the first cell to get these into the federation. But Starbase 67, the Endeavor and trying to get it into the academy, but from there now. Then it's an alliance between the Cardassians, the Aldeans and the K'tarians." she said and he nodded to her.

"As for the clues he left lying around his apartment, he just told us everything that was wrong with him, but caffeine withdrawal, sleep deprivation and malnutrition. And that's not if whatever's in those pills was more than caffeine, because if there is. Then he's been in detox however long it was before he came come, the vitamins. Those vitamins are every mineral that he lost that he normally had very high levels of for three years."

"But that was not a real injury, he was stage acting, but to prevent a real case of tetanus he needed to get his booster taken and the last dose was before he left for the academy. Alright, with the fact he decided to head for his apartment after the latest distraction, by the halfway point, he was running on fumes by then. He's suffering hypoglycemia and exhaustion and he needed to revitalize himself by eating something and said something."

"That had the necessary levels of sugar and caffeine to end that jolt and he was also getting a general stimulant into his system to recover from this as to why. I take it that the equipment used that was sitting on the table, it was for stage acting purposes. As to why, it's because, if he needed a tetanus shot it meant that he just barely collapsed in the tunnel, stopped and picked it up, because if he hadn't stopped, he'd have collapsed."

"And landed on top of it and by the time we got to him the infection would have set in, before we could get to him, by the time you freed all of us. Damn it I forgot Lal was still in the system, but with Charlie being the plant and the duo incapacitated. He decided to have Lal pulling two jobs, and one was covering his back, by helping him. Now, in creating his supplies and helping in keeping them busy while you worked on the cure."

"But to get our parental instincts to go crazy, it's by simulating a real injury, nice move honey, if that doesn't do it nothing will right now in our case, alright. While dealing with this and I don't blame him right now either at the moment. Computer, Lal, I need a medical backlog of what's wrong with him." Michaels said and in answer to that it appeared on the game console board and she looked at it in shock then as she said it.

"Oh my god, how could those fools not see this, Beverly reads this and she's going to kill them for not paying closer attention over there." she said with a furious growl. "What's this translate to Erica?" Guinan asked and she explained that to her. "Sleep deprivation, malnutrition, caffeine withdrawal and a severe amount of stress. It's from the said sleep deprivation, my guess is he was having some sort of dreams for the last few months."

"And said dreams possibly focused on us, and just as it reaches the conclusion, he wakes, because he's afraid he's going to see, whoever it that was killed. Through the host's eyes and he's possibly been having these dreams so long right now. That he's lost four months worth of sleep because of it, whatever he couldn't tell them. As to why that is right now, it's because he didn't trust them, not in the way he could us, as to why."

"It's because we helped his mother raise him, during the year she was planetside, so can't them, but he could tell us, because we were either all here from deployment. Or added to the crew a year later, but it's enough that what he couldn't tell them. As they don't know him in the way we do and it's a matter of time frames as well. So what he couldn't tell them, he could tell us, he's a prodigy of five different sciences, one medical."

"And he needed to tell us this, so he could recover properly and get away from the catalyst of the stress, peer pressure. But loss of weight, sleep deprivation, caffeine withdrawal and malnutrition, he was going to tell us when he got back. That he needed a sabbatical from the academy to recover from this now at the moment. Because these kinds of situations, and Eli is a rehab Doctor as well, so he's in recovery for 18 months."

"Though just as he did, his chance at doing this gets derailed and he's had to keep from telling us or he's telling the mastermind behind the conspiracy at the moment. And with that, with the fact that Eric and Rick just found the vitamins and he left indications of what the hell was going on with him. Once the effects of this thing break on Beverly, she's going to be pissed that he was forced into this when he was in no condition for it."

"She's going to kill her for pushing him into this when he was in no condition for this, just to prevent that thing from getting off the ship. Damn it honey, why didn't you tell me sooner, sweetie." she said with a gentle sigh. "I asked the exact same question and he said that he was going to tell us, but he never got the chance to, because by the time he did, it was already too late and the commander and counselor were already drones."

"But as it is, she's draining him of his energy faster than she realizes, or maybe she does. But once she realized he knew her plan..." Data said and the man nodded as he slammed his hand on the table as he answered him. "She marked him and is determined to turn him into a drone to get these into the federation. I don't think so, what the hell's wrong with him exactly if he needs those vitamins and is suffering hotflashes like this?"

"I mean prior to his leaving he had only case of the flu and was in recovery for month, if this turns into that a second time and he's going to be out of commission till his mother lifts it." Ensign Tom Davidson said to him and he nodded. "Yes I know that, to answer your second question, he's suffering a severe case of sleep deprivation, malnutrition and caffeine withdrawal right now at the moment, that broadcast you heard from Porter."

"It's because those were the vitamins and minerals he's lost, as his squadron had completely dismantled his regime and he's trying to get every one he lost back into his body. And keep his temperature regulated right now, till the alarm goes off after that timer ends. Alright computer, display the amount of time on stratagema game console." he said and it flashed up and they read the amount of time on it and nodded firmly.

"Alright so we have that much time till the computer lifts the heat sensor ban and when it does, he's noticeable on the engine room computers. But what is he planning exactly here: don't take the medical version of those general stimulates. He does that and his body temperature is going to be spiking high enough for Worf to find him on the monitors and he's going to get caught." he heard and looked up to at that statement.

To see two security guards as he answered him firmly as he yanked his phaser. "Wait Data, what are you doing?" Davidson said quickly and he said it firmly. "I will not allow you to disable me a second time, nor will I allow you to get near him right now. With the fact that I just told you where he's hiding Ensign, now tell me the truth right now, you two." he said as he looked directly at the guards as he finished his sentence.

"My phaser is on medium stun you two, I suggest you two stay over there, as you all know I'm far stronger than you are. But I made one mistake in letting my guard down this week and Dr. Crusher deactivated me, before disabling me. I will not allow that to happen again, she may have said no weapons, regarding arresting him to you. But to protect Wesley, and where he is concerned I will do what I must to protect him now."

"But before I answer that question, were you in here when I hit them with the cure, or did Derek Hanson comm you to disable me, before I finish my job tonight, Ensign." he said and the second of the two answered that as they set their phasers on the counter and lifted their hands as the second of the two answered him. "No Data, the commander had the sextet looking for him, we were posted in here in case he tried to come in here."

"Through the ventilation shaft to get something to eat, but as fate would have it, that just turned into her downfall." he said and Data nodded to him. "So I got you at the same time I got them, Wes wrote down the security crew duo. In each spot, but who was where, since Lieutenants Greyson and Porter never gave their team mates names in who was where, I had to make sure, Ensign Walters." he said and Daniel Walters nodded.

"I understand why, but as fate would have it, with Miles still in engineering right now, it's you have us, with Guinan dealing with a possible secondary mutiny right now." he said and she finished that. "Data we're clean, I understand the paranoia after what happened so far this week. There's no need to shoot anyone right now, so just take it easy, we're back to normal we can deal with this now." Guinan said to him and he sighed gently.

"Guinan, I helped raise him these last four years and like he knew it was me when Lore swapped place with me. It's dealing with the fact that my student because more than just my friend, he's like my offspring and he means a lot to me. To protect him, and with him in his present condition, I will do what I must." he said and Davidson sighed as he answered him as the group exchanged looks as Burke watched the technician carefully.

"We understand that Data, we see him as a surrogate son ourselves and with everyone compromised. Though at the current moment if there's got to be a problem we just keep an eye out." he said to him gently. "We're the ones who need to protect him now, though if the cat, oh boy. Jack, I suggest you try not to get too close or the cat is going momma kitty regarding her kittens at the moment." The guard said, bemused at that remark.

"If she's kitten sitting right now that would do that, though once she goes momma cat watch out for the added side effect as well here. Because for a cat it's dealing with her practically raising the said human kitten from birth. Though they just met, it doesn't matter, she knows you see him as a son, Data, and to her he's her kitten and doing what it takes to protect him till he leaves your apartment." Guinan said to him and he nodded.

"I think that's the understatement of the century, because she's an introvert and doesn't like anyone but a select few of people right now. But if she saw the photo of Wesley and Data together and deduced that he was close friends with him. Than it's enough she knows he thinks of him as a son, and to her that means he's an adopted kitten. Though I think the added catch is she likes children more the adults here now."

"To her she just met him and he's acting like her owner and she knows what her owner's thinking about her new kitten. So to her she's on kitten duty till kitten changes locations in the morning." he said and she nodded in agreement to that as the radio went off then. **_"Data you read?"_** he heard and she hit the communicator on her gown. "Eli, ten forward is clean now, I recommend locking the doors into sickbay, his apartment."

"And ten forward for the night, just to protect ourselves for the next 15 to 18 hours. And till the vaccine is passed throughout the entire ship. But level V, medical security alert, until everyone is free of the conditioning nobody goes anywhere." she said and they heard him answer that quickly. ** _"Agreed Guinan, that's good idea, alright Data you have control of the computer right now with Wes in bed at the moment, do it."_**

 ** _"And while I'm on the subject, I have two security guards that also were in here when you hit us with the vaccine, we got any in the room with you right now."_** he asked and Data nodded as he answered him. "That's affirmative, I have Jacobs and Walters in the room with me. Looks like I just freed four of seventy security personnel on the ship right now and with that, who of the teams were chosen."

"Ensign Thompson, Ensign Wilcox, I need to know where the others were scattered to with Bates, Greyson and Roberts as well your team mates scattered around the halls and corridors right now. If they, or rather she, is trying to catch him that way, but that's her downfall and as to why I'm saying this right at the moment. It's because, unfortunately for her, he knows our procedures way too well for this to have us arrest him for her."

"And he's avoiding every spot that would, so I can get the ones that are hiding in the public areas right now. While the others are looking for him or are possibly guarding the areas he's getting to through the Jeffries tubes and ventilation shafts?" he asked and a voice answered that. ** _"Our teams got split in half for the eight of us Data, but Thompson and I are part of Bates team, we're guarding sickbay."_**

 ** _"But as you got to us before you left the room, Anthony didn't have enough time to tell you. In just where each of the teams that were involved in his training were, Anthony and I are in here. Jack, Derek, Eric, along with Perkins, Tom and Dave are looking for him or are guarding his apartment. While we're split into groups, but Anthony and I are here in sickbay, that's one."_**

 ** _"Williams and Potter are part of Greyson's team and they're guarding the lounge right now, while Jacobs and Walters were part of Porter's team and they're with you in ten forward. While the others are covering the hallways and his quarters right now, though with the fact we're clean now, that'll do it."_** he said and Data nodded as he answered him at that remark in relief at the news.

"Doctor, security program 555-2375-249875 has gone active, both sickbay and ten forward are now under control of my daughter. Lal, she's the one controlling the computer mainframe, we had this planned last year. Under Lieutenant Greyson's orders, I think you know what I'm about to say next." he said and the duo both nodded as they got it then. "Direct orders given, and yeah we got it, Data." Guinan said to him gently.

"Erica, how many of your team do we have in here exactly?" the security guard asked and she quickly explained that. "We got five, but how many security personnel are in here, aside from you two, Daniel, because Derek said if we had any further trouble, we had to...?" she asked and the guard nodded. "Including us, four more, but engineering has 10 added security officers, so that helps." he said and Data nodded to him gently.

"Thank you for telling me that, has anyone figured out the exact pattern he's using since this started though. And as to why I'm asking this, it's because if she can't recognize it, than everyone on the ship forgot it and who it belongs to." he asked and he heard a sigh. **_"That's a negative Data, but now that we're back to being ourselves again right now, we do recognize the pattern, and I can't believe we forgot it too."_**

 ** _"Because the exact sequence in this, if she figures it out, before you free the engineering room, she's going to realize what his plan is next, before he can try it. But no person can follow an exact pattern to a previous manhunt without anyone remembering this and not get caught, but for him and us. He's lucky we forgot ever having Danar here or this is over, before it even starts."_**

 ** _"What's also lucky is everything that's gone on since he chose to stay aboard after his mother got transferred back to earth at the time. But at the moment it's making sure nothing gets worse at the moment, with us in detox. And it's we're now on guard duty in case of..., Oh boy, Doctor we got a reaction here."_** they heard as they heard a thump and a fight break out over the radio at that.

"Sound like the first reaction to that thing." Nagel said and he and Guinan both nodded in agreement as they heard Anenzi shout out an order then at the orderlies. **_"Get him on the table and hold him down."_** they heard and then after five minutes they heard him say it with a sigh. **_"Nervous reaction to the come down off that thing, Guinan you, the security duo and whoever in my department are in there."_**

 ** _"Listen up, I want all of you to watch for any nervous reactions to the come down off this thing. And secondly lock down, no one is leaving the room till the rest of the ship is clean so just replicate a day's worth of supplies. And some stuff so you can get some rest right now, because the rooms are turning into designated shelters for the night."_** he said and they all nodded to the orders.

Just as she was answering they heard a groggy teenage voice then as they heard Anenzi say it. **_"Oh no, alright son, just take it easy."_** he said gently, before they heard another struggle as the voice quickly said it. **_" No, not again, let me go!"_** he snapped as Data quickly said it. "Lal, I need a line in there to see what's going on." he said as the console quickly activated and they saw the guard and two orderlies catching Hanson.

As they heard the answering response to the teenager from Wilcox. ** _"Alright that's enough son, calm down."_** They heard from Wilcox firmly as Anenzi said it a second time. ** _"Alright hold him down, I'm putting him under a second time."_** he said as they watched them, force him into back down on the bed and Anezi sedated him. ** _"Easy, easy, shh, it's okay."_** he said before the young man relaxed and they sighed at that.

"Lal, activate the internal communication link, we're able to talk to each through through the screens connected to the vital signs bio-signature screen and the console table. As well as the computers in each room of the public areas. But put an A/V mode lockout on the main doors into the rooms we're in right now." Nagel said and in answer to that the Strategema table activated completely as they saw the sickbay group working then.

"Eli, Lal has a link through the stratagema console table, so from us to the lounges and the Crusher's apartment. So this way we can talk to each other by use of the screens now in every room. But the radio is locked out, as is our communicators right now, till the coast is clear here at the moment." Burke said to him and he looked at him. **_"Roger, I got it, and I'm glad to see that it's working."_** he said and they nodded to him.

"Us too, but we saw the whole thing here regarding Hanson, but this is getting ridiculous, we really need to put a medical guard on this kid right now. And before he tries that for the third time in less then a month here." Michaels said and he nodded to her from the diagnostics screen across from the bio-bed as he answered her. ** _"Well that's one nervous reaction and a teenage rebellion in orders."_** he said and Guinan sighed.

"I don't think that was a nervous reaction Eli, more like the secondary programming, one attempt doesn't work, she has a back up in getting it to the academy. So that makes the first attempt till we determine who's suffering the secondaries or not right now." Guinan told him and his tone went firm at that. **_"Or the added side effect is after the kids are freed, that's Robin and Jake Kurland, Wes is acting as the decoy."_**

 ** _"And Charlie is the plant keeping them going in circles right now, but if try three doesn't work. Her next attempt to get it off the ship is by targeting them and getting the damn thing on them just to get it to the academy right now. And in his condition if that doesn't work, and she's tries a third time. His system could impact and crash, these diagnostics say he was in no condition for this_** ** _."_**

 ** _"Though if my theory on that is true, and after everyone on the ship is clear, the ones suffering secondaries are trying to get it on the kids._** ** _Or the areas that she ordered us to get them to right now, and I don't to hear the words. But this is just like the Polywater virus and he's trying to us by preventing anyone infected from accidentally killing us by screwing around with the life support."_**

 ** _"Or the environmental controls by blocking off the control room_** ** _from the infected members. He did this four years ago, but this was what the duo were acting like with us just getting to know each other. So in_** ** _his eyes it's activating medical security level V after this, Data once you do each spot._** ** _Stay put to see who loses it next and help arrest them, they're being sedated and restrained."_**

 ** _"Until the secondary program deactivates and then Beverly, Kate and I are dealing with making sure the programming is deactivated after that. But I think the boys, the trio and Robin are the primary targets, because Deanna and Geordi were ordered to take it to Starbase 67. And Commander Riker, to the Cleon system to rendenzvous with the Endeavor, to get it on that ship."_**

 ** _"But if Wes connected the dots here, those ships on 67 lost their captains after the last foothold running through the federation. And to start a second, if the first attempt doesn't work, it's by using our youngest crew members for this. The secondary is getting the damn thing on them and have the kids follow their orders."_** he said and Data nodded to the orders as he exchanged looks with the duo.

"Lovely here we go again, after a fight in here after we got stuck in Tyken's Rift, I'm not having that trash the room for a second time after we had a riot in here earlier last year. But this is getting ridiculous, alright if anyone wants something to drink it's non alcoholic only. And I mean it, try and replicate anything alcoholic and you're getting arrested, because we're detoxing from that thing." The security guard said and the group nodded.

"That's an understatement, what's the memory he put into the ship's A.I. to keep us in one spot exactly, anyway?" Guinan asked and he explained that to her, before Michaels did it for him. "Forcefield over the door into control, and blocking off the fuse box as well, deciding to appear to us on the main viewer just to talk. Yeah I see which memory this was he chose, it's the month we encountered the Polywater virus at the time."

"And he demonstrated his skills in the engineering room with Geordi sedated, and he was preventing the crew from getting into the room by setting up that forcefield. But the shield was also an enhanced tractor beam he created. But that was the start of it, but whoever broke the pact regarding that is in serious trouble right now." she said and Burke turned to her at the name of the virus as he repeated that.

"Polywater virus?" he said and she nodded to him as Data said it to him. "Yes that was our first true initiation as a crew, but to explain this gently. The memory of our deployment and when we had the Polywater virus running amok on the ship. The shield was part of that memory, to prevent anyone from screwing around with life support. Or the environmental controls at the time to keep someone from killing us back then."

"The others were the Nanites and the Iconian computer program, combine all three together." Data said and the female ensign covered her eyes at that. "And it's enough the computer is seeing this game as a computer virus. And one that it's trying to protect its mainframe from this time at the moment. Computer, I take it you're just listening only to the person that made you sentient now?" she asked and it answered her gently.

 ** _"Never mind computer, I'm now in charge of the mainframe, ensign, with you and Ensign's Burke and Davidson here. Since year one with Guinan, than you know who I am and with it what father was trying to do. And before Sarek arrived here and Commander Riker got arrested when that professor's equipment exploded."_** they heard and Guinan tried to keep from laughing at that.

"For gods sakes, Lal, is that you?" Burke asked and she gently answered him. ** _"Yes, it's me, Wes told me to act like his sister and I'm going to do that. I may be a machine, but that's not stopping me from acting like I'm human. So Luke, Chris, Tom, never mind treating me like I'm extention of the computer, act like I'm in the room with you, alright."_** she said and the group all nodded to the request.

"Yeah I remember that conversation last year, but I forgot he downloaded you into the computer Lal, it's good to hear your voice again." Guinan said to her and they heard a smile in her time as she answered her. **_"You too Guinan, it's good to see you guys again, alright just who was screwing around with the system this time exactly, because the hardware on my added functions in the replicator are missing?"_**

 ** _"Wait just give me a minute, I can fix that."_** she said and a minute later, they saw a medical case appear and the orderly moved to the replicator and pulled it off the counter. "Alright, well that helps, what happened this time if their apartment was the first stop made before you hit sickbay?" Ensign Erica Michaels asked and Data sighed. "Despite orders given to him by both Porter and the Captain, Derek Hanson broke them."

"He's got the mind set of trying to get back on your good side after getting arrested twice by the security personnel. And for both speedballing and when he wasn't watching the duo. As well as the situation with Charlie last month, he honestly thought Wes would try to attack head on or try and come in here to get something to eat." he said and she nodded in shocked anger as Tom Davidson said it sharply at that remark then.

"Damn it kid, he's not likely to try either of those, not with him in this condition and two, it's because he's not that reckless and knows we're waiting to ambush him in there. Hey Lal, is he asleep right now at the moment?" he asked and in answer to that question they saw the image appear on Strategema console. And the girls hid a chuckle as they saw the cat with her head resting against his forehead as he was asleep at that.

"Uh oh, well I can see that Spot thinks of him as her kitten now at the moment, but that's the cutest thing I've ever seen." the other nurse said with a smile and Michaels nodded smiling. "Great, still the ladies man though he's been gone for a year and at the moment, cub is working over time at the moment. Just to free the rest of the crew, and drained his energy right now." The orderly said and she smacked him in the arm.

"To answer your question I think someone tried to disable the added upgrades you made to the replicator computer. But whoever it was, they were trying to make it harder then it was already." Burke said and they heard her answer him. ** _"At the moment, there's a possibility of secondaries right now Luke, so you better keep an eye out, and Chris, best check the system."_** she said and they both nodded to the orders then.

"Right, but again, with the fact you tapped into the computer programming has your entire system gone self aware now?" Nagel asked and it quickly answered that. ** _"I did, but at the current moment, trying to protect father's student is my primary mission now and with that. As you read his self diagnosis, he, or I, rather just over rode the locks to keep everyone infected out of the room."_**

 ** _"Are you part of the engineering crew, because I've been given orders to only listen to father, Wes himself, Ensign Lefler. Once she's back to normal and the same is said for the engineering crew members?"_** it asked and she smiled gently as Davidson answered that. "Yes we are, in fact Ensign Nagel and I are both part of the engineering crew and we're also part of Commander La Forge's team."

"And the ones he spent the most time with." he said and she immediately responded to his remark. **_"To answer your question Ensign Davidson, Ensign Nagel, Wes has ordered me to listen only to him, Commander Data. Or to any of the following, but until the senior staff crew is back to being themselves again. I will not follow orders given to me by them."_** She said to him and they nodded to that gently.

"Added acts of over riding security procedures and I knew he was good but this has gone passed good and straight to dangerously clever right now." She said in response and Data looked at her. "Get ready for the radio call in the morning, he's grabbing ideas from the wargames with the Hathaway and he needs your help with that, Ensign." he said and she smiled as she answered him as she said as she tried to keep from laughing then.

"Screwing around with the sensor codes and he's doing a re-enactment of the maneuver that we pulled before the Ferengi showed up that day, alright. What's the added side effect of the come down off the virus these games infected us with?" Nagel asked and they heard a sigh as it answered her. **_"The withdrawal and rebound of being on one too many recreational drugs or speedballing with the Ethanol, Ensign Nagel."_**

 ** _"It stimulates the pleasure center of the cerebral cortex and causes a dopamine effect in the body. Once free of the intoxication, the added side effect is the type of someone being on substance abuse for two months and going off it all at once. As the body tries to fight the toxins and immediately tries to go back on it."_** She said and the medical personnel in the room covered their eyes at that.

"Is that what the Polywater virus did to you guys that year, because I joined the crew a year later, and with me was Gillespie, he arrived right towards the end of the year and just as we were doing wargames with the Hathaway at the time?" Guinan asked and they all nodded to her. "Yeah but combined with the detox process is a case of getting stir crazy. And I think I know why everyone was flipping out in here regarding it."

"Just after we ended up in the Tyken's rift at the time last year, though that was still no reason for starting a mutiny in here, great, Miles isn't in here right now at the moment. He could help control things and it's because of a case of claustrophobia, though we're next to the window here. It's not enough, though the duo are incapacitated right now, that just leaves me, Erica, you and the duo in charge in here, we have to do it now."

"So till it's safe to leave the room, we keep the room under under lock and key, with him asleep right now and he needs to rest at the moment. But until we're not being chased around by our own people a second time. We just have to wait it out now for Wes to complete his mission, if he and the duo are doing this together. While Data is freeing us section by section, before he hits the engineering room." Nagel said to her gently then.

"Lovely first Sarek and the Bendii syndrome, then comes the effects of Tyken's Rift and that's after Wes left. And now we get a repeat performance of the syndrome if Jean Luc loses his control over the mind meld. But this is getting ridiculous, outside influences and the first person to start flipping out in here. Then you better pull yourselves together, I still have that gun I used seven months ago." she said and the security guards chuckled.

"Yeah I remember that, and Gillespie, we mean it, pull yourselves together. And don't make me try that again, just to keep it under control, because once was enough in here." The guard said as the trio start laughing at that memory. "What may I ask was that about Lieutenant?" Data asked and Jane Rugel answered that question. "Gillespie was suffering a case of cabin fever and barely started a mutiny in here that day."

"With the fact we were all suffering from sleep deprivation and I'm guessing it causes you to get a little crazy here. But after Guinan called the duo in here, the guy who was standing next to him got into a fight with David and Thompson with Daniel, till she had to fire her gun into the ceiling to break up the wrestling match between him and Miles." she said and he nodded as he looked at the duo gently as he placed their names.

Recognizing them as David Jacobs and Daniel Walters of team number four and the latest arrivals, that, like Porter and his team, had arrived before Wesley left, he nodded as he answered that. "Yes I know that, as does he, but to answer your question right now Ensign, stage two and three were by decoys and misdirection. But stage four is by stage acting this next portion of it." Data said and he nodded as he answered him

"Stage acting, why would he..., never mind, he's got her going in circles right now with the fact he's getting some rest tonight. But tomorrow it's shifting from bumper tag and a scavenger hunt to playing hide and seek, but he's setting her, Etana, up to land herself behind bars right now. As tomorrow for the rest of this, but one count child abuse, conspiracy, sedition." he said and the female Ensign said it, as she thought it over.

"And she's ending up in jail for two counts of child abuse, attempted murder, as he..., oh god don't you even think about it Wes, you've nearly given us a heart attack in training one too many times. I'm not having you land yourself in the emergency room just to end this at the moment." Ensign Christina Nagel said in shock and Tom looked at her at that. "What exactly Chris?" he asked and she sighed as she answered him.

"What's the one place where we can hear everything that goes on in there and on this side of it as we got a direct demonstration to that last year after the riot in here?" she asked and he and Guinan both nodded. "Deck 7, section 23 the extension tube tunnel shaft, he's crawling around the Jeffries tubes right now. And with that in mind right now..., Oh for gods sakes, if you're trying to scare us to death right now at the moment."

"Than you're doing an awfully good job of it right now, Wesley." Guinan said in concerned exasperation at that. "He's good there's no denying that, but suddenly shifting from planning things out safely to getting reckless is going to back fire at the moment if he keeps it up. And especially when he hasn't slept in possibly four to five months, kid, come on, if you keep this up you're landing yourself in sickbay, I mean seriously."

"Enough already right now, five hours on the go and it's starting a second time when exactly?" Jacobs asked with a sigh. "I don't think he cares about at the moment right now, and as to why I'm saying that. Everything he used so far as part of a ploy, but something doesn't make sense here. If he's trying to finish this, where did he get the information of who it started with and when exactly?" Guinan asked and he shrugged.

"With it being 0200 hours in the morning the the search and wargames begin again 0900 and he's comming you, Dr. Anenzi and Lieutenant Porter to check in with you." he said and thry nodded. "Alright we just wait till he comms us, but in the mean time everyone get comfortable, until the coast is clear." Walters said and got an immediate objection to that. "Now wait a second we're back to normal, why we can't leave at the moment."

"And while I'm at it, your orders were if he came in here, to arrest him." they heard and he turned to the gold uniform wearing engineer that nearly started a second riot seven months prior to that. "Lal deactivate our communicators, we're going on radio silence until the coast is clear. So our only link is through the console table to the other resistance cells, but anyone has another reaction, activation the activation code."

"And as the medical leader in every room is in charge, once your father frees us, so as I'm the senior nurse in here right now. I order that all communicators are to be deactivated and activate the empath blacking mechanism until Deanna is back to normal, Lal." Michaels said sharply and their communicators glowed red and they nodded as Data finished that as he answered him sternly at that remark then as he went over it firmly.

"Everyone, but Sickbay, Porter and Davidson, as well as ten forward is clear now, but until further notice with the captain and the commander compromised. Dr. Anenzi and I are the ones that are in charge Chief Gillespie. Your orders from the captain are hence forth over ruled and you're ordered to stand down now." he said firmly then and he shook his head as the security crew duo exchanged looks at the way he was acting.

Watching the technician as he answered him, Guinan heard a tone she remembered from the previous near riot in the room as he said it then. " I don't think so Data, you've been unconscious all week." he said and Guinan grabbed Michaels, Nagel, Burke and Davidson as she said it in a whisper. "I think he's secondary programming victim #2 you guys. We have to sedate him, because it's very clear to me, but with us back to normal."

"And it's clear we just found another one, try to start another mutiny, and he gets out of the room and turns Wes into her. Wes needs 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep right now, we can't let him leave the room. Or we're getting taken a second time we have to protect the boys and Data, one way or another." she said and the quartet nodded as Nagel looked at her team mates and they gave a minute nod to her as Walters said it to him.

"Don't push it, if we have to sedate you, we will, and we're not having another riot get started so try it and you're under arrest buster." he said and that did it as the engineer tried to unlock the door by the control panel as they and the quartet grabbed him. "You're not going anywhere pal, Lal, sound proof the room!" Jacobs snapped as he and the trio of guards and engineering crew grabbed him and forced him to the floor at that.

As they got the phaser out of his hand then, as Michaels opened up the case and started working on a tranquilizer cocktail for him and Nagel said it to her. "Better add a neural inhibitor as well, Erica." she told her and they nodded as Jacobs looked at the replicator. "Lal replicate a cot with the restraints on it, level V, he's not going anywhere." he snapped as the man struggled to get free as she jabbed him in the arm and they waited.

After several minutes he stopped moving and collapsed then, as the said cot appeared in the middle of the room. "Get him on the bed, and get a blanket, wrists and ankles and waist and we wait it out till morning. Everyone replicate your own supplies and lock the grate and the doors." she said and Walters sighed. "Well that's two and a teenage case of rebellion tonight, who wants to bet we have several more tomorrow after he ends this."

"Because Hanson just humiliated himself in front of us adult officers, by getting arrested by Data at the moment?" he asked and she sighed. "No bet, we're no doubt going to have several more attacks for the next week, though Beverly reads his diagnostics. And she's going to kill Murphy at the academy for not seeing these indications. But then she's not the one who helped raise him and neither are they." she said and he nodded to her.

"Alright that's one attack, a teenage case of rebellion and now we have a secondary attempted mutiny right now. God this kid is too high strung, he keeps this up and the captain is reassigning him after we get to 67 along with whoever broke our pact." Lieutenant David Warner said and he nodded in agreement. "Well whoever broke that pact is ending up dead right now once we figure it out." she said in answer to that firmly.

Watching the said trio freeze up at the remark she straightened up in fury as she said it with a maternal growl at the looks on their faces. "You broke the pact?!" she snapped and the leader swallowed and nodded. "Nice work you idiots, you have my patient working himself harder then he should be and just to get passed this image that Hanson has painted on him!" she said and the third said it quickly at that remark then to her.

"But lieutenant, we didn't think this was going to blow over into a such a big deal." he said and she grabbed him and shoved him into the wall at that. "Did you ever consider combining that rumor with the knack and what it does to a teenager. And one so gifted that they stand out you idiots, wait till his mother and the Counselor find out. They're going to kill you and you're losing your placement here, alright you're relieved of duty."

"Get over there and don't bother us, because you've just been ostracized at the moment, go!" she snapped and they swallowed and moved into the corner by the window as Warner gripped her shoulder as she closed her eyes. "God baby, don't worry, we're going to fix this by getting that kid and his friends off the ship. 18 months, never mind what the traveler said to us about you, we have to make our own decisions, starting now."

"The little stooge is off limits after we get that information to your mother and the sextet, we get the sextet off this ship and its an 18 to 20 month basis. Of you're coming into your potential without all the pressure now, we also have two cadets. Ones just like you and Jake on board, so that's exactly what you need now." she said as she tried to keep her anger under control and Guinan crouched next to her as she looked at her.

"More than just medical guardian, he's like your son as well?" she asked and Michaels nodded as she wiped the tears of anger off her face. "Yeah that one year made the difference, he's like my own now, to keep from losing him now, I'm doing what it takes. We have the first step, it's by having Charlie and Robin here, but it's enough with having his skills thrown at him every time he turns around and that traveler's off limits."

"And finally, it's by sending Derek and his trio to the academy, get his best friend and whoever nearly destroys his career. The one that knew that whatever happened and what they did was wrong and should have come forward. As well as Charlie's wingmate, and I think the boys connected at the academy if they're like this together. And that should do it as his therapy is complete as its 18 months to recover, in both ways."

"And by the time whatever happens at the academy, it's he's more sure of himself now then he ever was when we had that bombshell dropped on us now." she said and the trio of the lieutenant junior grades that bonded to him and Jake moved to her at that. "That's the problem for us cadets this gifted though, we stand out, Lieutenant. And when around adults, we stand out even more, but your ideas are really good and this will help."

"But first we have to finish this now, if he's calling us in the morning, we just have to wait for that phone call, but right now we need to rest." Lieutenant J.G. Jason Grogan told her and she nodded to him as she said it to all of them. "Alright everyone replicate your supplies and your cots for the night, we need to move these tables to make more room for all of us tonight." she said and they nodded as Guinan answered that gently.

"Better yet, teleport them into my storage room, Lal, it's just for tonight and we can bring them back in for breakfast and lunch later on this morning." she said and in answer to that the tables and chairs teleported out of the room and 33 more cots appeared. As everyone gave their supply orders in food to their standards as 34 bags appeared at each cot then as they settled in for the night as Sarah Hailey said it for the group gently.


	14. 14: Checking In And Changing Directions

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs tome and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Warnings:** **Sorry everyone, I lost 80% of this chapter I have to redo it, but the rest of the story is still there so it's going to be back on the wall. Just as soon as I finish this chapter and get a replacement chapter 11 up, but the added numbers are going to result in 20 chapters. As this story focuses on the Game, and the next one focuses on the aftermath to it and leading the next Episode.**

 **Chapter** **14: Team Reunions And Truths Laid Out**

"Lal do a play back of his conversations with Derek, Picard and Riker, we have to make sure right now, start with the first idea he had and move it further." Hailey said and in answer to that the image appeared. **_"Sirs, I recommend we put the Turbolifts back on line, he sees them working he may try to use them. As soon as he does, we have him."_** he heard from Dayton and smiled as he heard from Will at that remark.

 ** _"Yes he's right, Lieutenant Evans, put the Turbolifts back online, he sees them working. He may try to use them, soon as he does, we have him, Captain."_** he heard from Will and smiled at the remark. "It's a trap, running this into our chess game with Danar, but Wes simulated several explosions. In making it seem like he was Danar, just to get them to remember what went off at the time." The guard said smiling at that.

 ** _"Indeed, Lieutenant Evans reactivate the Turbolifts and put them back on line."_** Picard said and the trio nodded, smiling. "Yeah that's it little brother, nice touch, she doesn't realize that was a trick, because she never read our minds. Charlie just focus and Wes, just relax, whatever decision you have just think it through. And remember what I said, with us compromised, ignore what we tell you to do now, just relax and focus."

"You can do this, remember the skills we gave you after our conversation." Hailey said to him smiling. "Yes do that guys, do it, like Wes knows you better then you know yourselves, it's simple here. But you've just fallen into the exact trap you made back then, and with that, Etana, you're never going to win this game. When little brother is even better then you are in knowing us." Grogan added as they waited for the results.

Seeing Hanson sitting at the table as he tried to get locked into the conversation they heard his remark to the duo in Wesley's apartment then as they heard his tone change. **_"Why waste time in doing that exactly, Lieutenant, if this was me,_** ** _I'd dodge a security team and head for ten forward here."_** they heard and a second later they heard Dayton tone of protective annoyance then at the remark.

 ** _"It's because he's not that reckless, and he knows we're waiting to ambush him if he did try that,_** ** _Hanson, and with that. Get off the damn channel, you're tying up the line, we need to keep this channel clear right now. And to answer your suggestion right now in this game at the moment, as he considers it._** ** _The game doesn't have two options, let alone three, but four options to choose from."_**

 ** _"And the first 3 are resulting in the expansion the 4th is a win, and he knows that as well. It's that clear buddy boy, and with that in mind, to keep from getting arrested it's by survival and stealth training. And not by recklessness, because getting reckless gets you captured. So if you intend to be a Starfleet officer you need more then your muscles you need your mind as well."_**

 ** _"To survive in space you need every subject in high school, not just physical education, if you're jealous of me or Crusher, you better get over it. You have a lot to learn in order to be an effective officer and the first step is by careful strategy and knowing your opponent. But know your enemy and you defeat them, pal, again if you want to continue your training now at the moment."_**

 ** _"Then you have to look at all the options here right now and without getting reckless and again get off the damn channel."_** he snapped at him sternly, before he heard the boy snap at him at that as the orderly and guard shook their heads at this. "Yeah just annoy him why don't you, you little brat, this isn't some damn game it's serious, but that's remark 4 now at the moment and he and I had discussed this."

"But try to attack head on: getting arrested, try to set the auto destruct: getting arrested, dodge a security team and head for ten forward: getting arrested. And trying to teleport onto her ship to arrest her: getting arrested as well. And these are our people, we can get them back, but we have to be smart about it and he's doing that." Hailey said and the trio nodded in agreement to that remark as Michaels answered that gently.

"Guys seriously right now, I understand you're irritated at Derek, but these decisions in these ideas, if you keep them up you're going to scare us into a heart attack. Wes, just keep it up with your strategy, the trio and the duo trained you enough in doing this, but remember don't get reckless and jump the net." she said as they heard Dayton finished that remark his tone taking on the second in command of the training ensign crew then.

As they heard the next remark, and knowing he was getting irritated at him. **_"Hanson, this not the time for this, he's recovering from a case of blood loss and he's in no condition for an ambush. So if you're really that reckless that's a way to push him into a collapse right now at the moment. With one scare and panic attack thanks to MacGregor, and adding this to it. But this is going too far right now so back off, you have no clue what you're doing here right now."_**

 ** _"And he's needing a quiet place to rest after that right now anyway, as to why, with him to exhausted to keep going he's already collapsed and in the process ended up getting hurt. Captain, the reason he found that blood smear in the hatch and wall is because of the explosion, the added sections. But T-95 was a previous explosion site, all over that tunnel section was left over shrapnel."_**

 ** _"And it was from the source of his inspiration, the memory you forgot had blown up that terminal knocking out the external sensors and as a result._** ** _The last explosion we had in there left shrapnel all over the place, after two years it's rusted, he needed a tetanus shot to head of an infection and went to self induced medical care."_** he said and he heard Picard answer him at that remark.

 ** _"Are you sure about that, Ensign Dayton?"_** he asked quickly and he heard a sigh as he answered him. _**"Aye Sir, we may not have checked it, since Commander La Forge fixed that terminal, but with emergency lighting it's still too dark to see anything in there. With us cutting off any access to get anything to eat and the previous dose was giving out, he collapsed in that tunnel and landed on a few."**_

 ** _"Before he got to his quarters and by then his pants leg was soaked in blood and he went to self healing. Before getting to work on added applications regarding this. But I'm a medical born, he's a medical born, if our positions were in reverse, I'd do what he did. If fact, if I was him, I'd hide in one of the unoccupied crew quarters right now."_** he told him and Wesley nodded to the orders.

 ** _"Are you just trying to show off Dayton, he never even told you this._** ** _How do you know his frame of mind to know what he's doing!"_ ** he said coldly at him and Jake answered that with a firm tone. "That's simple enough we've been together so long we can read each other's minds, and he's my best friend. I know what he's doing as do to the trio and Charlie's a plant right now." he said as he heard Dayton finish that.

His tone beyond furious as he went further as he answered him then as the quartet heard his tone. **_"Because we're two sides of the same whole Hanson, he thinks like I do. But everything he is I share and we're the two sides of the same warrior, I know how thinks because everything he does. I would do to get this far right now, but we're half soldier/half scientist, but that's how it is."_**

 ** _"And with you being a very fresh recruit as well Hanson, you want to catch your quarry you have to think how he does to know what he's doing. Anticipating their next moves, why else would he use chess metaphors when talking to the duo. But because he knows how they think and that's how he's evaded being captured this at the moment, it's a classic catch to a tactician here."_**

 ** _"For this long, it's know your enemy and you defeat them, we can do it because we've been in training for years here. So with that, we're model student officers, because we anticipate them, t_** ** _hey know how we think. We know how they think, that's what makes a good working machine, I know his strategy. Because everything he's doing I'd do the same and we'd never get captured."_**

 ** _"And unfortunately, that's what's got the adult crew into this mess in the first place at the current moment. And while you're slacking off in class, we've got the job of making sure here nobody gets hurt, while you're flying the damn ship or worse right now at the moment. That you don't get yourself killed if we have anyone else working and involved in this, if his inspiration was on the ship."_**

 ** _"And with those words in mind, stand right now, Hanson, this is not the time for this right now. But I'm making it very clear here, you even try to go against orders and you lost your shot, get off the damn line right now and get to your quarters. The only ones on duty tonight are me, Crusher and Lefler, Ensign Kurland you better take a break, stand down now Ensign, and Hanson."_**

 ** _"Stay out of this!"_** he snapped and before Porter could answer, he heard the other boy snap back at him at that. ** _"You're not the one in charge Dayton."_** he snarled and he heard a thump as Dayton growled in anger at that. **_"I don't care if I am or not, I'm a senior ensign, you're a basic training, translated you're a cadet, we're training ensigns. I'm your superior, so again, get off the damn channel right now."_**

 ** _"Or so help me god, I find out you broke orders and you've lost your shot, get off the damn channel right now, cadet. You're newly activated, we've been at it since we were 15, so stay out of this and I'm not kidding. Aside from that you're also on medical stand down, and you're not supposed to be on duty anyway. So get off the damn channel right now and get to your quarters."_**

 ** _"And I mean it too Hanson, you even try to get involved in this and you're being jumped now stand right now, cadet."_** he snapped and the guard nodded. "Well if that's not enough to irritate Eric nothing is, and it's because we prefer intellect over athletics as does the captain right now." he said as they heard Porter end the fight at that as he injected a stern tone into his voice as he barked out orders at that.

 ** _"Alright that's enough out of both of you, Ensign Dayton, we appreciate the help, but we can take it from here. And Cadet Hanson, I'm making it very clear here, but you try and get involved in this. And whoever he's stalling for is the one arresting you, for reckless endangerment, this is not a game it's serious._** ** _So stand down right now, and I'm warning you, if I find out you got arrested."_**

 ** _"Because you did it again_** ** _and tried to get involved and you're ending up back in sickbay, because we had all we can take from you. In regarding medical arrests, we catch you and that's it, clear?"_** he said and Walters nodded. "Yeah they're furious alright, he can't stay off the damn radio no matter how many times we say we need to keep the channel clear." he said as they heard Hanson's quick remark to that reprimand.

 ** _"But Sir I know how he thinks, you need my help to catch him."_ ** he said and Picard said it sternly at that remark. **_"No we don't young man, in situations like this leave it to the skilled professionals and Mr. Crusher is very correct, you get involved. And if we have whoever his inspiration was, catches you,_** ** _that turns it into a hostage situation and it's a hindrance rather then a help, mister."_**

 ** _"So again, stay out of this cadet, and as if that's not enough you're still under medical watch right now. And I'm warning you right now, trying it this soon after the last one is way too dangerous, so again. If whoever he's waiting for catches you and you're ending up in sickbay under medical watch. Now get to your quarters and stay there, Mr. Hanson."_** he snapped at him sternly then at that.

"Yeah alright the last one, before you dropped in on us, the duo and Sickbay, and this ought to be interesting right now, Wes is better then he thinks. But I'm glad that the four of us were in here right now at the moment when he did this right now." Dana Sattefield said and they nodded in agreement as they listened to his remark. "Well we know Wes parked it and with it right now why, so with that, what's the subterfuge right now."

"Regarding this and how the heck is the system flunctuating right now in there, and I was monitoring that myself as well. Alright buster let's have it, how did you talk yourselves out of this one just to prevent Greyson or Bates from checking on you." Hailey asked and minute later they got the answer. _**"Sirs, I did some swift scans after the simulated explosions in T-95, a bit ago.** **It seems that it terminated the power in certain situations areas of the ship, and one of said area."**_

 _ **"That it did was is in the android's quarters,**_ _ **causing the equipment to go berserk in there.**_ ** _And our A.I., she also terminated the power in his quarters and is dealing with taking care of the cat._** ** _And with him disabled right now at the current moment, so she's dealing with his cat right now._** ** _But as a result of the explosion, the bugs in the system are erratic at the current moment."_**

 ** _"And to the point it's screwing with the replicator and_** ** _his shower, so if we have a sudden equipment use in there,_** ** _it's because of several bugs in the system,_** ** _thanks to the simulated explosion._** ** _Though at the moment, if what he told us was true regarding several leftover shards in that shaft."_ ** Dayton said and she smiled as she answered they remark with a gentle chuckle then at that.

 ** _"And despite a very fresh surgery, it's clear why he headed for the med lab with sickbay now in our hands and us blocking off his apartment."_** Dayton said and he watched Picard nod as he answered him. **_"What's the said reason exactly?"_** he asked him and he explained that to him. **_"So he could take a shower and get into some clean clothes as he recovers from the adrenaline come down and sugar crash."_**

 ** _"So I think after he left the lab he decided to bunk somewhere for the night, as this trip to the lab was for a secondary dose in the general stimulate cocktail. Before he replicated another candy bar or something, before he gets into where he's sleeping for the night."_** he said and the nurse nodded. "Well if that doesn't answer your question, nothing ever does, Sarah." Grogan said, smiling and she nodded.

 ** _"Alright, so what do you suggest right now, Ensign?"_ ** he asked and Dayton explained that to them, as the quartet and Jake exchanged grins at the way they and Lal worked together then. **_"With all personnel not involved in the search, those rooms are left out of it._** ** _So of 5,000+ places to hide, half of those, including the android's quarters, are left out of the equation, as the doors are all locked."_**

 ** _"But half that number would take 10 to 15 hours to search until the clock on that timer ends by that point. So we just leave the rooms set for in case he decides to go in there, or decides to head back to his quarters now. But keep a few medic's in al public areas with with guards and everyone else in there."_ ** he said and Wesley knew they nodded to that as he said it for all of them at that.

 ** _"Alright everyone stay put in the areas they're in, and be on the alert, all rooms not involved in the search. Dr. Anenzi, I want you to dispatch three medic's, each, to all public areas, but stay on your guard in case he comes in there. But all public areas be on the look out for both him and Cadet Hanson right now. Or Hanson's friends if they decide to get involved, I want them out of the search."_**

 ** _"And that's including the areas we have set up, but all areas that are locked are left out of the search for the night. And the android's quarters and all personnel, take them out the equation, lieutenant. So until the timer ends, it's doing a manual systematic search of every room, so it's going to be a very long 15 hours now."_** Picard said and they nodded then as they ended it at that, smiling.

"Yeah alright that should do it, alright everyone I want you take a sleeping pill for the night, we've lost just under a week in rest and we can't afford that right now. But he's going to need our help once the search gets started later this morning. So like him, we need to be fully rested right now, so we can help him if need be." Michaels said and and they nodded as the quintet dragged their cots into the corner and she smiled at that.

"Well I see its back to the way things used to be right now for you guys, running on autopilot, you miss your brother, don't you?" Guinan asked and the quintet nodded. "Yeah we lost a member of our sextet after he left for the academy, but if this means what I think, then I think my remark just hit the table. And I'm not losing my baby brother, because whoever is leading his team is trying to get him in trouble now."

"Or frame him for something, and not when I just got him back right now, but all of us were running on autopilot and it's because of Charlie and Robin. Wes held every position the duo did with us and it's we now can focus completely once we pull the medical sabbatical card. But that this level it's going to take 18 to 20 months to recover, but that amount of time, it's game over for NID born cadets." Hailey said and they nodded to her.

"Before we discuss situations of future problems we better focus on this one and secondly now, before we can help him with that. It's we need to help ourselves first by getting the first true night of sleep we had since she hijacked the ship. And turned us into drones at the moment so with that, we need to get some sleep. And get some food into our systems that's not loaded with either stimulate." Nagel said in answer to that.

"And that goes double for you Cubs, and I mean it, like your brother, you're in the same condition and you need to rest right now. As we already had this problem after the Tyken's rift, so get some rest guys, alright." Walters said and they nodded as she gave them that dose. "Data, I want to talk to him in the morning, when he checks in." Jake said and he nodded as Michaels gently ran her hand through his hair then.

"Jake you've been through enough, like us his leaving hit you just as hard, you're his best friend, but if he and Charlie met at the academy. Then that's the first step to helping him and you heal now, but before we can do that we have to finish this." she said and he nodded as he laid down, as she was rubbing his back as he fell asleep. As the quartet laid down as they too settled as the adult members sighed at this situation.

"Damn it, without his parents here, he's driving himself into exhaustion and like us, he was hit just as hard after Wes left at the time. Jake is acting like Ferretti was, if the records were true, then Jackson was Ferretti's best friend and they'd been together all their lives. Before Carter and the commander's grandfather came into the picture at the time." Nagel said to her and she nodded as she looked at the teenager then gently at that.

"Once things are fixed on this but Jake is the first and Robin is the next at the moment, but our next problem. It's the act of the boogieman in the basement or under the bed remark, because of the psychological traumas at the moment, him most of all right now. I don't have to hear the words one of us easy, two cutting it close, but the entire group he was closest too, and that's going way too far right now."

"Because though it's not Macgregor, or Radue, it's just as bad right now, I don't have to hear the words, but one of us would be easy, two, probably, but the entire group that he spends the most time with. That's too much and he's pushing himself past the limit to break her control of us. But this just crossed the line and when Beverly reads the self diagnosis, she's going to kill her." she said and they nodded to her as he sighed.

"Option four is enough to prevent an injury or two, or at least till he decides to get their attention right now at the moment. But so far he's done really good right now, he's taken my suggestions and that's helping right now, but if he checked the episode on this situation right now. And we're going to have it double in the amount of time right now." Sarah said and she nodded as Walters answered her as he looked between them.

"Then I'm looking at the search lasting from 9 to 17 hours long and just short of 24 right now, but so far he's going carefully, but the simulated injury was to get us to concentrate. So we just wait till he makes contact with us in the morning right now." Walters said and Jacobs sighed. "That's not our only problem, if she pushes him so far his system crashes and we're going to have to call that alarm for real now at the moment."

"But I heard Derek say that this worst case scenario now for us in his case, if that does happen is everything he described to us. And depending on the time, a week to a month later, I'm looking a serious case of us doing our emergency call out for real with Derek off the ship now. But his is from true drugs and alcohol Wes, his is from stimulates." he said and they both nodded as the quartet went to bed as they left it to them.

As after taking it they pulled their blankets over themselves and fell asleep as they waited for him to make contact with them later that morning. "God these kids weren't ready for this and this hag just put him and the trio in a position at the moment. And one they never should have been in right now." The guard said with a sigh and Data nodded as the quintet exchanged looks at the remark as the nurse said it to him then.

"That's what I worried about right now at the moment, whatever is causing those spasms is a cause for concern and if what I'm reading is right on this information. Then, something was mixed into the caffeine, we need to analyze those pills if that's what it is, and if those are part of her plan. We have to trigger the detonator if there is one and prevent it from getting him off the ship." she said and he nodded to that firmly.

"You expecting the same questions once you free Jacobs and Roberts in lounge 1, Data, since you got the same questions three times in two hours right now?" Michaels said and he nodded to her. "Yes, Lieutenant, but at the moment I'm leading Wes and his squadron, but your team leader is Pulaski, she's coming in the morning." he said and they nodded as Nagel said it to him gently before Guinan answered him for her then.

"Alright you better do the lounges now, we'll check back with you in the morning." she said and he nodded. "Wes's calling in the morning to check in with you, but he reset the clock for 1730 hours tomorrow. So that's when the alarm goes off and the sensors are working again, but he's created five more packs like the two he did in his apartment." he said and they nodded as he left the room and headed for lounge 1.

Getting to the next stop then, he said it again then. "Lal turn out the lights." he said and he heard an immediate shout as he walked in and quickly zapped every member of the room, before running a fast head count. '2, 30, 60, 60..., alright that's 152, so we got another 325 if I'm right, before I get that program into the system here.' he thought as he moved to the leader of the room as he looked at him in exhaustion.

"Long story lieutenant, but I've done this three times with Porter, Anenzi and Guinan, but to sum this up, with you being here from the very beginning. But it's a combination of the Polywater virus and the conspiracy that killed Captain Keel. And the three planets involved are Aldea, K'taris and a group of Cardassian rebels. The ones not involved in Macet's grouping at the time, but this was the activation of Wes's program."

"But the entire ship got hit, but I just freed you and 102 others, and that's everyone in all three departments." he said and the guard nodded. "Where is he exactly?" he asked and he explained that to him. "My quarters, but keep an eye open we got a several with the secondary programming that is meant to get it into the federation, but Heinlein's novel comes into this." he said and they nodded then as he said it to him.

"In other words our young patient knows what he's doing, caffeine withdrawal and sleep deprivation, alright let me guess but we had a case of teenage rebellion. And you arrested him after the captain ordered either you or the guys to catch him." Adam Parker said and he nodded to him gently. "Alright go, get the others, we can finish this tonight, before you hit the engineering crew tomorrow." he said and he nodded and left then.

 **Getting In Touch with the Hold Outs and Changing Directions- Wesley's POV**

After 8 to 9 hours of rest, Wesley woke up as he saw an orange patch nestled against his forehead and pulled back and looked down gently, at that. To see the cat asleep curled up next to his head and realized her head was pressed to his and smiled at that. 'Our bond must have activated enough that she sees me as her own now, to her I'm her own kitten, if she's like this with me right now, alright girl, time to wake up now."

"As you need to eat too, as you're holding me down slightly." he thought and he hid a chuckle at that as he ran his hand through the fur on her head, as she leaned her head into his hand. As she started purring in her sleep and he chuckled as he stroked her fur, as he waited for her to wake up. And he watched her shift position as he ran his hand through the fur on her back and at that she shifted position and woke up then.

As he saw her eyes open at that and she looked up at him as she looked up with a smile in her eyes. "Mew." she said to him and he smiled. "Good morning, sleep good?" he asked and she gave him a second mew to answer him and he nodded smiling to that gently. "Mew, meow?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah me too, and yeah if you want, you can be mine as well girl." he said and she started purring happily to that remark.

"When it comes to kids and cats, if I had my own, and they were a girl this is the response, but I think you just took their place now, as your owner happens to be a surrogate family member. But at the moment, the, in your eyes, cats of the adult crew are not themselves and won't be until we: your father and me. We take care of this as the other kittens in my litter one is compromised, and the others are themselves again."

"But I have a few things to finish now, before I'm home for the next year and a half girl." he said and she meowed then as she pressed her forehead to his and he nodded. "Yeah I'll be careful, but I'm not leaving the room yet, I'm staying in here until I set up the distraction deploy now." he said and she gave a second meow that had a protective tone and he nodded with a smile as he gave her a gentle hug and she burrowed into it.

As he got up and stretched as he checked the time, before he showered a second time then, before changing into his fresh set of clothes as he left the evidence lying on the table then and she got up and moved to him as she watched him dig through his bag as she watched him. "Mew?" she asked and he nodded. "Not yet, I'm getting ready to set it off, but it's close to 1100 hours, so I'm keeping them busy for a while, at the moment."

"But I've got five hours before the timer ends so I've got to change apartments soon." he said and she meowed at that in resistance as she rubbed her head against his and got in front of him. "I can't, I have to finish this, don't worry, as soon as this is over, I'm staying home for a while." he said in answer to her body language and she meowed in resignation as she rubbed up against him purring as he answered her response.

"I know, I know you're trying to protect me, but to protect others you have to let me finish what I started. I'll be okay Spot, I'm staying home for a few months afterwards later at the moment, but I'm not getting started right away right now. In fact after this ends it's the act of being in recovery." he said and said it. "Lal how much time do I have left on the timer?" he asked and she explained that to him gently as she answered him.

"We have 8 hours and 30 minutes left." she said and he nodded to her as he thought it over. "Alright set the clock for 10 hours, we're setting this so the adult crew can get some real rest tonight. I just drained a 1/3 of the amount from my system and I've got another to get out of my system right now." he said as she did it and he heard a thunk over the radio and knew that they got the first signal he was now awake then at that.

"Lal what time is it exactly?" he asked and she explained that to him. _**"It's 0930 in the morning, and you had 8 hours of rest now, but between pit stops to do this, you better use these. So they know you're leaving a trail of breadcrumbs until you hide those bags in the extension shaft."** _ she said and he nodded as the cat looked at him as he finished his sentence to her as he answered her question smiling.

"But in order to do that it's by freeing everyone, but everyone I'm getting in touch with now is the first on the list now." he said and she purred gently at that. Running his hand through her fur she started purring softly as he logged onto the people he had to talk to the most. "Lal, activate a three image look into my apartment, sickbay and Ten forward." he said and in answer to that he saw everyone in all three rooms were also awake.

And eating and smiled as he said it. "All designated shelters, specifically shelters Alpha, Beta and Charlie, this is Ensign Crusher reporting in, can you all hear me?" he asked and they all looked directly at the camera and Hailey smiled as she answered first. **_"Yeah loud and clear little brother, you alright?"_** she asked and he smiled as he saw the trio and Satterfield next to her with smiles on their faces then as he answered her.

"Yeah I'm okay, fully rested and ready to go, I wasn't expecting to find the five of you in ten forward though, Sarah, nice touch though at the moment. I just freed what's left of our squadron at the moment in the process in there last night, I take it you figured it out with the fact Lal was in the system. That Charlie was my added contact and he was playing the plant all this time?" he asked and they nodded to him gently.

As Porter said it for all of them at that. _**"We did, but I didn't remember that you were doing that idea with Lal in the system and with it that we ended up with two more just like you. But who's next on getting freed because if they didn't realize it by now that we're free. Then she's essentially been outsmarted right now?"**_ he asked and he explained that to him gently as he looked at them.

 _ **"It's engineering, but I got to get the commander and Worf out of the room first now, but I'm glad you and Tom are in the room Chris, because I need your help with this next part now. But dad's little idea with the Hathaway, the Talupian maneuver on instrument sighting, we need to blind their sensors so Dr. Pulaski can get on the ship."**_ he said and they both nodded gently to that remark.

 _ **"Got it, I take it the reason you couldn't tell us immediately was because she already turned Deanna and the commander into drones?"**_ Michaels asked and he nodded. "Yeah that's it exactly, I've stopped taking those things like three months, before I signed myself up for leave. But the time limit, I need a year to 18 months, and you read it right, Sarah, our remarks of running into another Hanson there."

"It just landed itself on the table, Charlie is not the one that started that right at the academy, he was framed by Derek's cousin." he said and their eyes narrowed to that. _ **"What happened if the captain got half the story?"**_ Jason Grogan asked and he sighed. "Best I tell you and the captain this later Jase, as to why, it's he's going to be even more annoyed then he is already." he said and they nodded as Jake answered him.

"Before you say it, this has to do with your brothers and sisters, guys, and believe me, once I tell you this, you're going to want to let Derek have it. Because it's the remark your grandmother gave to Colonel Carter, when they met. But the fight ended up at the tavern and it resulted in a riot, but I'll tell you once we had a check up later, okay." he said and the quartet nodded as Jake answered him as he said it for them gently.

 _ **"So Derek's cousin's first initials are the same as his, but he uses his middle name to tell him apart from our Charlie?"**_ Jake asked and he nodded. "Yeah that's it exactly, Jake, but Derek's cousin's name is Charlie Andrew Peter Hanson and his best friend is my squadron leader. But with it, I met the duo at the academy while I was there but I found the rest of our squadron while I was there Jake, buddy."

"Whatever reason he had to choose me that I don't know, but maybe Robin and Charlie can answer that question though if this was because we have a case of crazy jealousy and someone is in serious trouble. But Robin and I've been together since we met at the academy, but that explains the reason you saw us together for the last few days, she's my girlfriend." he said and they all nodded as Guinan smiled at the news then.

"But man am I'm glad to see you bro, missed you buddy." he said and Jake smiled at him then. _**"You too man, I'm glad you're home, what do you need from me exactly?"**_ he asked and he explained that. "Well for starters, if Lal already tapped the camera view to the other emergency shelter areas. Get ready, because I need your help, yours and Sarah's, once we clear engineering next at the moment now."

"But you guys set up the decoy ploy, and I'm triggering the alarm at the exact same time so, and we have enough time to get her aboard. But when I tell you to do it, trigger the alarm, and tell them that the system had a slight system's malfunction, because the terminal in shaft JP-5 is causing sporadic systems malfunctions." he said and she nodded as they nodded, before they saw Spot move into the camera then.

 _ **"I take it she grew a bit too attached when she saw you last night?"**_ Walters said with a slight smile and she gave a meow to answer him and they chuckled. "Yeah she's thinking of me as her kitten, but she sees MacGregor and you better stand back right now. But she knows that the seven are my litter and I'm freeing them piece by piece now." he said and she looked at them. "Meow?" she asked and they nodded.

 _ **"Yeah we're back to normal and we're ourselves Spot, but like us, Robin and Charlie are also part of his home litter."** _ Jake said and she meowed in acknowledgement. _**"Enterprise, anyone reading me?"**_ they heard and he quickly answered the voice. "Standby by shuttle, stay away for a few minutes, wherever you are just stay put." he said and he heard an older version to Will's voice answer that as he said it to him.

 _ **"Roger, what the hell's going on over there, son is that you?"**_ he asked and he quickly answered him. "Grandpa, we've been hijacked, I need to set up a diversion and cloaking mechanism on your shuttle to get you aboard, and Lal's waiting on standby to get you to sick-bay. Just stand by, repeat, we been seized by K'taris rebels and the crew is compromised, so stand by." he said and they quickly answered him then.

 _ **"Roger, we got it and we're waiting."**_ the doctor said and he nodded. "Chris, I need the the code frequency for sensor codes." he said and she nodded. _**"The code is 55615-24657525-87596325815, gamma, red, delta, charlie, bravo."** _ she said and he nodded. "Charlie when I do this get ready, because it's triggering a three piece set up and we're going to have the sensors blinded for fifteen minutes now."

"And by a romulan warbird." he said to him gently as he thought to him out loud then as he got an immediate response. _**'Got it, and I'm ready, where's the direction it's coming from exactly?"**_ he asked and he quickly explained that. "It's coming from the stern, and my doctor's shuttle is coming in from the bow of the ship." he said and he knew he nodded as he finished typing in the orders gently as he said it to her.

"Doctor, listen to me carefully, I'm using the wargames as a way to get you on board the ship, but sensors codes have been shoved onto our rebel's ships systems as well. So once I hit the execute button fly in from the bow, and Lal is getting you into shuttle bay six and has two headsets on standby, they're mock ups of the real ones, so once you get to on board, pretend you're compromised and proceed directly to sickbay."

"Sickbay's clear and Dr. Anenzi's waiting for you." he said and he heard two acknowledgements to that. "Lal activate the system's over ride and shove it into Etana's sensors as well as we have a romulan warbird and then a klingon bird a prey ready to attack the ship as they try to make contact with it." he said and the computer beeped at him and he smiled. "Initiating in 3, 2, 1,..., now" he said as he tapped the enter button.

As the alarm started blaring at that, "Captain we have a Romulan warbird enroute towards us." he heard Dayton shout and he heard an immediate response. _ **"We don't have any shields or weapons, let alone communications, bring us about ensign."**_ he said and Wesley smiled. "Lal over ride the terminal for him and swing the ship to port left and open the shuttle bay." he said and he as he waited and smiled at that.

 _ **"Captain, we have another ship approaching fast from the stern, it's a Klingon bird a prey!"** _ he heard and smiled and Wesley smiled. "Lal take over now, and tell them if they don't want a fight right now, to stand down right now. Because the ship is an ally to the federation and they're coming to talk to Etana right then and with her, them." he said and he got an immediate response as he listened to the conversation.

"Doctor, go, that's your window, the senior staff crew and the security is distracted, get those headsets and head for sickbay, I'm switching locations right now." he said and he heard a quick affirmative to that. "Alright guys, I'm leaving now, and wait for the alarm to go off and that should do it." he said and he heard 20 acknowledgements to that as he opened up the grate and grabbed the bags and shoved them into it then.

"Lal I need a duffle bag to carrier the supplies here, one bag is for this, the other has the added equipment and the second bag is being placed in the shaft after I unloaded a 4/5's of it. But I need a single bag big enough to carry both bags and the first aid kits in it. Just so I don't have to carry two bags at once right now when moving around." he said and a minute later it appeared as he grabbed it and loaded both bags into it.

"Alright dirty cloths in front of the bed, open MRE next to it, and spent hypo syringe with it, yeah okay, next message set against the bed on top of my pants and that should do it, alright Doctor did you make it?" he asked and he got a fast answer. _**"Yes Wes we're there, you better get moving because Kyle and I are tracing the alarms so I know where you are as well, just comm me when you get there."**_

 _ **"Because Eli just gave me the prognosis, and I know that the side effects of the knack are still effecting you. So try to stay focused alright, but if the extension shaft is open stay away from it, if you have another one in the middle of this."**_ she said and he nodded to the orders. "Alright, I'm getting ready to get moving so stand by, guys. " he said to them under his breath as he got to work as he did it then.

As he left his markers on the bed with her sitting next to it as he ran his hand through her fur and she pressed her head to his in response. "Don't worry I'll be fine, see you tonight girl." he said as he answered her response as he gave her a hug and she burrowed into his arms at that as he let her go. As he moved away from her, and looking over his shoulder at her gently he said it gently to her as she watched him.

"Spot get ready for the room to be stormed in a few minutes." he said and she meowed as she got into position as they waited. "Lal turn on the alarm after I slam the grate door shut and unlock the doors and deactivate the internal security, in 3, 2, 1,..., now." he said to her and that did it as he slammed the grate shut and at the same time the alarms went off at that as he got an immediate response to it.

As the alarm went off for real this time and that did it, as he slammed the grate shut. _**"Sir he's in Data's quarters."**_ he heard from Will and heard heard Picard answer that as he waited. _**"Security check Data's quarters."**_ he said and five minutes later and he heard the door open. "I don't believe this Sir, but he was here alright, and I found the set of drenched pants he was wearing last night from his injury."

"As if that's not enough everything was left on the bed and the cat is staring at me with furious maternal look on her face, like she knows where he headed to next." he heard Bates's voice say, before he heard a warning growl. "Mrrreeeooowww!" she growled at that and he heard a fast reply to that response. "Easy girl, I'll leave just give me a minute." he said to her quickly as he then heard a bemused tone to that remark.

 _ **"What was that about lieutenant?"**_ Will asked and he knew Bates was backing up to keep from provoking her then. "She's staring at with a warning look, she's acting like furry bodyguard and she's ready to spring here, she knows where he went, and she's ready to protect him to the death." he said and he heard the programmed voice of his mother answer that as she said it with a bemused tone to that remark.

 _ **"Back up very slowly, but that's a mother's prerogative to protect their children and I think she sees him that way now."**_ she said and Wesley nodded in agreement, as he started moving and headed for Geordi's quarters first. As he unlocked the grate door. "Lal, security arrangements now." he said as he got to work as he unloaded the equipment and created another bag as he gave the orders to her at that.

"Alright same as last night, the orders I gave you last night and I need another bag to create this." he said as the next one appeared and he loaded the next bag as he hid it in another portion of the room. And opened up his own as he ate breakfast, before he took the vitamins with it and then gave himself a dose of epinephrine then and then commed them again as he said it to her gently at that, reporting to the medical trio then.

"Alright guys, I'm in Geordi's quarters, but get ready the alarms are going to be triggered in order, but Geordi first, then Deanna, the captain and the commander. But that's five now and i'm creating another one and putting it in Worf's before the timer ends and then stage three starts after that." he said and he heard Anenzi answer him at that remark as his tone shifted at that and he knew he was getting worried as he said it.

 _ **"Son, that dose is not going to last long, once in the shaft take another, before, but it's going to take a tremendous amount of exertion, to make sure we got this out of your system. And that's not if those pills have more then caffeine in them, but you have another spasm. If you're at the shaft entrance then it could cause you to get hurt, so be careful."**_ he said and Wesley nodded to that.

"I will, but if it hits when I'm at the bottom of the shaft, it's only going to slow me down, but we don't have time for this right now. Because I've got to the duo out of engineering, so wait till I trigger the alarm a second and get down there, I need to see you face to face, doctor." he said and he heard her answer him. _**"Alright see in a few hours."** _ she said and he nodded as he left the next marker and smiled then gently.

As he triggered the alarm a second time as he left the room and he heard an annoyed tone in the guard's voice as he said it. "We've been decoyed, but he was here alright, there's scraps from the latest MRE he created all over the table here. But I have no clue here to where he went, but wherever he's heading next, I think the alarm only goes off when he leaves." he heard from Greyson as he said this and knew he chose it.

And he heard a sigh from Will as he answered him. _**"Then we trace the alarms till the timer ends, but this has gone on so long that he's got you going in circles, and we don't know if we've been boarded or not. Right now at the moment, once I tell you, meet me at wherever the sensors trace him to finally and we're going to do this together."** _ he said and he watched as Greyson gave a nod.

As he smiled and headed for Deanna's room and got to work. "Lal trigger the alarm in Worf's quarters now." he said and he heard the alarm go off a second time. _**"Security to my quarters!"**_ Worf called out and ten minutes later he heard the answering response. _**"Sir there's no one in here, we've been decoyed for real this time, I think he set that off from another apartment."** _ he heard from Roberts and smiled.

 _ **"I think he's pulling a case of distraction and division right now, commander."** _ Porter added and he chuckled as he heard an annoyed tone in Will voice at that. _**"Then I'm not falling for that a second time, if we hear it again from your quarters Lieutenant."**_ he said and he tried to keep from laughing at that. "Yeah and that's your fatal mistake lady, because it's number seven." he said, before he heard from Porter.

 _ **"Wes was that just to set up another cache and so they're not bothering to check there for real, after you leave the room when you get up there?"**_ he asked and Wesley nodded. "Yeah and she just made another fatal mistake by making that decision, because after I created another one in there. Stage three starts as I'm turning off the timer and activating the sensors." he said and he heard a smile at that.


	15. 15: The Search Shifts And The Reunion

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs to me and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Warnings:** **Sorry everyone, I lost 80% of this chapter I have to redo it, but the rest of the story is still there so it's going to be back on the wall. Just as soon as I finish this chapter and get a replacement chapter 11 up, but the added numbers are going to result in 20 chapters. As this story focuses on the Game, and the next one focuses on the aftermath to it and leading the next Episode.**

 **Chapter** **15: Stage Two Ends, Engineering Freed And The Reunion Part 1**

 _ **"Nice touch and the captain and commander, once they're themselves again, are going to love the fact that you are doing this without getting reckless leading into whatever you planned next. But you're going to have to explain to them the reason you didn't tell us immediately. And it's because whatever level you're at here, it's going to be completely drained once that dose wears now."**_

 _ **"But what's the plan in stage four?"**_ he asked and he sighed. "Setting her up to implicate herself right now, because it's not the loss of blood that has me this worn out afterwards. It's the act of draining that final dose, after I redirect and the fact she just barely missed causing me to break a joint in this. But I'm going to have to change course, so this has them realizing, once back to normal that she just crossed a line now."

"But with the fact that they know how far I've gone in this, the act of trying to finish this before Data arrives and dad is going to kill her when he realizes that. And it's the same for mom, when she realizes that she barely broke my ankle or whatever happens in the middle of this." he said and he heard a worried tone from Anenzi at that remark as he said it to him quickly at that remark, knowing that got their.

 ** _"You're not serious, you land on it the wrong way, and you're going to blow it out doing this?!"_** he said to him quickly at that remark and he sighed as he answered him, as he activated the terminal between them. "She's nearly killed us already, and I'm running on fumes here at the moment the only option to break it completely now. Is by setting her up for being arrested by Data, you're the mind control expert Doctor, what do you suggest here?" he asked and he heard Kate Pulaski sigh as she answered him.

 _ **"I hate to say it but you're right, but after this is done that's it and you're on light duty indefinitely after that till we know whether or not this plan of her's has added side effects or not."** _ she said at that and he nodded. "Well, it's not going to be a direct on purpose action here, but it's twice the number they normally had it, so if that doesn't do it nothing does." he said to her gently and Porter sighed.

As he answered him then at that remark then. _**"I get that, but we had it at a third of whatever number feet in the jump you select, so when you do this, keep your knees bent or you're going to either sprain it. Or it's going to get dislocated if you do this for a third time, but report into engineering after you get them out of the room so we can do this, alright."**_ he said and Wesley nodded to him.

"I will, but at the moment right now, it's getting their attention on me, while Data is getting the programming into the computer of what he used on you last night." he said and he saw them nod. _**"Alright, I'll see you in a few hours, just be careful son."** _ he said and Wesley nodded to the orders. As he started work on the third bag then, as he said it as he bagged up the duffle bag then as he cut the candy bar he had opened up.

As he left teeth marks on the piece he left on the table, as he left the other half in the package, and then cut a 2/3's out of the second to make it clear he needed as much of a sugar burst as possible. When he headed for Picard's quarters after he left Worf's then as he did it. As he smiled as he left the bar on the table and a half a cup of water then as he stuffed it into the grate as he said it then as he prepared to set off the alarm.

"If you already figured this out Eric, guys, I've decided on a Journey to the Center Of the Earth theme, leaving indications I was there. But I got a good look at her, she's a K'tarian, and her race never leaves their planet, unless they're in the military. What's also in there is these other races in the galaxy can't understand a thing about us right now as we evolved at the time." he said and he heard from Porter at the news then.

 _ **"Nice thinking, their race doesn't understand a thing about earth humans, and that's enough to annoy her, since you annoyed the hell out of her by embarassing her last night. And now the act of you're doing this is enough to drive her further up the wall right now. Keep it up, but when you get into the shaft, before careful and stay away from the area where the grate closes."**_

 _ **"Wesley I'm serious right now, if you have another spasm that close you could fall through it, so if you get hit by another, back up and stay against the wall until it wears off. Just be careful and if that happens I want you to take another dose of epinphrine, and eat one of those candy bars and just wait it out till you're ready to get moving again, okay."**_ he said and Wesley nodded to the orders

"Lal, activate the alarm now." he said and he moved into the shaft and closed the door then as he hid around the corner. As he waited and he heard the voice of his godfather say it. _**"Security to Counselor Troi's quarters."**_ he called out and a few minutes he got the answering response to that, knowing the guard got the message as he heard an aggravated tone to his voice as he reported tothe bridge and engineering then.

"He was here, and I just missed him as well, because the candy bar he left here was half eaten." Roberts said to him and he heard a sigh. _**"Any indication to tell if he opened that one and left it in the same way he did last night?"** _ Beverly asked and he heard his answering response. "No, this was opened and half eaten, I'd say he had another one, and decided to end it by a fast sugar charge." he said to her then gently.

 _ **"Well so far it's jumped from my apartment to Data's to La Forge's and now Couselor Troi's I'd say this is going in the direction of us not knowing who's rooms he's hiding these caches in right now. So with that in mind right now Lieutenant, just get ready for the next one now, because if we had us, and Data, then."**_ Beverly said as he smiled as he went to Worf's room next as he did it again at that.

As he left the second half of the two pack candy bar out and left the second piece on the table and his initials on the card next to it with a cup of water and left both on the table. "Lal now." he said and she activated the alarm then and he heard annoyed tone at that and knew they were irritated. _**"This time it's coming from my apartment."**_ he heard from Worf and Dayton answered him and Wesley knew he as hiding a smile.

 _ **"What's if it's the real thing this time and not a decoy, best to check anyway, Lieutenant."**_ he said and he heard Will answer him at that remark. _**"Alright check his quarters and let us know what you find."**_ he said, before he heard the door open five minutes later and then the door opened then. "Yeah this time it's the real thing, Sirs as to how, there's another candy bar here and his initials on a piece of paper."

"I think that first piece was part of a two piece package he ate the second half on the go, and left half of the second full size bar on the table with a empty glass of water here." he said and knew they nodded. _**"Alright stay alert, because this sequence is starting to annoy me, because that makes four, but where are the other's ending up in."** _ he heard from Picard at that as he left his position and headed for his quarters.

As he created a fourth one then and set up his initials on a piece of paper, before he moved the duffle bag back into the shaft and said it to her gently. "Alright Lal, do it." he said and the alarm went off again. _**"Security to my quarters now."**_ Picard called out and a minute later he heard the door open up. "Yeah he was here, there's a piece of paper sitting on the table with his initials, Sir." he heard from Bates then firmly.

"Well that's four and he created five bags so far, but what's next exactly?" he heard from Watkins, before they heard a loud clang at that and he tried to keep from laughing at that. "You had to ask, remember what I said, every time you start getting rhetorical, and she starts getting smart with you right now. Come on enough with the stupid questions already." He whispered through his laughter at that as he moved on then.

Before getting into his godfather's quarters as he created the fifth and final bag and created his initials then on another piece of paper as he shoved the bag into the grate and said it firmly then. As he looked at the picture on the desk and saw them together and smiled, as he left a photo of them and Worf when in training on the holodeck on the table next to it and nodded as he gave the order then gently.

"Alright the last and final time Lal, do it." he said and he heard the alarm go off then. _**"Security to my quarters, repeat security to my quarters."**_ he heard from Will as he said it and quickly hid in around the corner then at that, leaving the shaft grate open, as he threw the other candy bar onto the floor in front of the grate and quickly hid in the left side of the shaft as he waited before he heard the door open then.

As he heard Greyson then and knew he found the grate door open then. "Yeah he was here, the shaft door is open and there's a candy bay lying on the floor here. I think this one was an attempt to switch courses, before the timer ends now, Sir." he said and he heard from Will at that. _**"Well the timer is left in 01:30:00 left until the timer runs out and the system is back online, so I'll let you know, if I need you."**_

 _ **"But that's not long now, until the timer runs out."**_ he said and Wesley nodded as he took the short cuts to the shaft and headed for the extension shaft as he unlocked the grate to find a cargo panel. And smiled as he unloaded both bags into it and stuffed the duffle bag into it as well. "Alright Lal, cancel timer, we're going to stage three now right now." he said as he waited gently until they found him in there then.

 **The Search Begins, Riker's POV:**

"Whoa commander, the timer has been cancelled, looks the games have shifted now." Shimoda said and Will nodded as he, Worf and Robin crowded around the pool table then. 'Come on son, where are you, if what they told me is anything to go by, you had another one and this has been going on too long. You're in no condition for this, so pull it over already.' he said to him softly and as he said it firmly then to Worf at that.

"18 hours and no sign of him except for the blasted alarms right now, how could that be right now, where the hell is he?" he asked and Worf sighed as he answered him. "I'm attempting to isolate him with thermal sensors." he said and Will nodded as he answered him. "Narrow the scan field, go deck by deck if you have to." he said and Worf nodded as he answered him with a firm tone as he said it to him at that remark.

"Unfortunately he knows our procedures, he'll avoid all corridors and public areas..., wait Commander, an unidentified heat source. Deck 7, section 23..., there" he said and Will nodded. "It's him, come on." he said and he turned to second in command of the team and O'Brien as he said it then. "Stay here and keep an eye out if he tries to come in here." he said and they nodded as he hit his communicator then as he said it.

"Greyson, Bates, Robertson, he's in deck 7, section 23, meet Lieutenant Worf and me down there at the entrance into the extension shaft." he said and he heard two affirmatives then as he thought it gently. 'Alright son that's enough of this already, just take it easy, and pull it over now, come on, just pull it over.' he thought to him as he headed for the turbolift then as they got ready for it then.

 **Getting Into Engineering And The Reunion, Wesley's POV:**

Waiting patiently, he said it to Lal as he activated his radio and listened to the conversation. "Alright Lal, get the site to site linked to Dr. Pulaski, she was our doctor in year two, so the second Data frees them get her into the room from the secondary entrance and me two decks above and I'm waiting for them to realize it." he said and knew she got it, as he heard Will say it firmly and knew he, Worf and Robin were at the table.

 _ **"Whoa commander, the timer has been cancelled, looks the games have shifted now."** _ he heard fromShimoda and he knew Will nodded as he, Worf and Robin crowded around the pool table then as he listened to her remark through him. _**"18 hours and no sign of him except for the blasted alarms right now, how could that be right now, where the hell is he?"** _ he asked and knew her crewman ansswered.

And knew her entire crew had possessed his mother and friends as he heard her crewman say it through Worf as he sighed as he answered him. _**"I'm attempting to isolate him with thermal sensors."** _ he said and knew Will nodded as he answered him. _**"**_ _ **Narrow the scan field, go deck by deck if you have to."** _ he said and then heard Worf say it as he answered him with a firm tone as he said it to him at that remark.

 _ **"Unfortunately he knows our procedures, he'll avoid all corridors and public areas..., wait Commander, an unidentified heat source. Deck 7, section 23..., there."** _ he said and Will nodded. _**"It's him, come on."**_ he said and knew he turned to second in command of the team and O'Brien as he said it. "That's it, take the bait, come on, take the bait." Wesley said softly, before he heard Will say it then to them.

 _ **"Stay here and keep an eye out if he tries to come in here."** _ he said and knew they nodded as he heard him say it into his communicator then. _ **"Greyson, Bates, Robertson, he's in deck 7, section 23, meet Lieutenant Worf and me down there at the entrance into the extension shaft."** _ he said and he heard two affirmatives then as he thought it gently, as he quickly said it into his radio then at that.

"Data stand by, they're leaving, once they're gone get in there, and bring her with you, I'll be down there in fifteen minutes." he said and he heard two affirmatives to that, before he said it to the computer. "Lal turn off the thermal sensors a second time, decoy shifted, make it seem as if I moved from deck 7 to deck 12. That I'm hiding in deck 12 section 10, alright it's in deck 12, section 10." he said and he repeated the gently

"Repeat my signature moved from deck 7, section 23, to deck 12, section 10, I'm moving to deck 10, section 12 now." he said and he heard an immediate response to that as knew they saw his signature moving. _**"Commander, his signature shifted, he's moved from deck 7, section 23, to deck 12, section 10, repeat, deck 12, section 10."**_ he heard from O'brien and heard and immediate response to that.

 _ **"Roger, we're on the way there now."** _ he said and sighed in relief as he gave the next order then to her at that remark then. "Yeah alright, Lal, site to site, get me into the shaft, a section above engineering and overhead next to the reactor." he said and a minute later he ended up in that section.

 **The Reunion, Nobody's POV:**

What are the chances he actually does try to come in here." Robin Lefler asked and David Jenson sighed. "Slim at the moment, from the way he's been doing this, and he jumped heading into a public area to avoid being arrested." he said and she nodded, before the lights suddenly went out then. "What the hell?!" Shimoda said quickly, before they got blinded by several very fast bright flashes at that remark then.

Shaking his head to clear it then, he looked up at and saw a pale shape moving into the his section of the room and then refocused as his eyes focused on the person moving towards him and felt his relief shoot through him as he saw Data moving to him and pulling him to his feet as he leaned against the pool table. "Data, what the hell did she do to us this week?" he asked and Jenson moved to them with O'brien then.

"It's a mixture of the virus we got hit by and the conspiracy, the one that killed Captain Keel, the trio took the positions the captain, commander and his mother took and with them, with Charlie being the plant, Lal took the the third position." he said and they nodded as he closed his eyes. "Caffeine withdrawal, sleep deprivation and he's in detox right now." Lieutenant Jennifer Barnfield said sharply and he nodded to her firmly at that.

"God damn it, that explains this, he cut off any access to the control room so she couldn't move us out of range." Jenson said sharply and he nodded to him. "Dang it, no wonder he panicked last night, Macgregor looks like Radue, and seeing a younger version to the man that kidnapped him. He panicked and locked up the room and with it, turning every room he was in, into a fortress." Macdougal added and he nodded to her.

"Alright son, just relax, we're back to normal now, Lal, activate security procedures now, we're back to normal and deactivate the forcefield into the control rooom." Shimoda said and a minute later it went down and he moved to check and put his hand to the door entrance and smiled and walked into the room as he got to work at that. "Lovely, she tore several out of the system, but this is what I did at that time."

"To keep us grounded until we had the cure to that virus, but at least she didn't yank all of them." he said, before two more got launched out of the terminal in answer to that as Macdougal grabbed them and they exchanged looks at that as they tried to keep from laughing and he answered that with a bemused chuckle then. "Very funny wise guy, but this is neither the time nor place for jokes like this right now."

"So stop playing with us right now." he said and then saw the terminal light go out and he shook his head at that with a slight smile. Before they heard a voice they hadn't heard in two years. "Jim can you get that fixed after what you guys been through this past week." she said and he nodded as Jenson answered that. "Yeah we can, and boy am I glad to see you Kate." he said and she nodded as she gave him a hug then.

"You too Dave, Wesley filled me in what the heck happened and I was bringing back information regarding a medical situation. Not knowing we walked right into a foothold/hotzone here today, Will's father is in sickbay and we have close to 400 people freed right now as a result right now." Katherine, Kate, Pulaski said and they nodded as O'brien said it to Robin gently as he introduced her to Pulaski then at that remark.

"Robin this is Kate Pulaski, she was our CMO in year two, Kate this is Robin Lefler, she's a new arrival with Charlie Dayton." he said and she nodded as she looked at her. "Eli showed me Wes's test results honey, care to tell me why you chose last night to pull this?" she asked and she sighed. "He was in sickbay running a self exam on himself, not that he told me this at the time, whatever rules there were, he followed them to a T."

"But I got hit right after we separated." she said and they nodded. "I don't believe this, you just figure it out, he's looking like he's coming down with something, said something. That he's in withdrawal and possibly catching a virus, and you choose now to pull this right now?" Shimoda said to her and she sighed. "What did you expect us to do, we wait too long and it was going to be too late." she said, looking between them then.

"I was going to tell you the second I came home guys, but by then dad and Deanna were already drones, so I tell you then and it gets back to her. So I had to wait till now you guys, but if these are connected and I'm on medical sabbatical indefinitely now." they heard and they quickly looked up and around at that. "Son, where are you?" Jenson said quickly at that and they heard a smile in his tone as he answered him then.

"If you figured out the pattern, as you yourself was helping trace it, after my inspiration was here, what happened next after he knocked Pearson unconscious?" he asked and they nodded as Goldberg smiled and answered him. "Alright wise guy get down from there." he said and they all looked up to see him looking down at them from the deck next to the reactor with a smile on his face then as he looked at them.

"Nice touch in distraction and division Wes, that was a good one." Robin said smiling and he grinned playfully and she repeated that to him. "Honey come on, get down from there." she said and he climbed down and moved to her and she pulled him into a hug and he tightened his arms around her. Watching them, they hid smiles as they saw her press her forehead to his as they saw the smitten look in his eyes as he looked at her.

'Oh boy, it's finally happened, he's head over heels in love with her, alright guys pull yourselves together we have to focus.' Pulaski thought as she hid a smile as she watched them together, before he let her go and turned to them. "I had to wait to get them out of the room, before I redirected the trace, that's not me that moved my signature out of the shaft, Lal did it." he said and they nodded, as Jenson gave him a hug then.

Holding him, he felt him bury his head into his shoulder in response as he felt him shaking, in pain and anger and hid a sigh as he thought it to him gently. 'Great that's exactly the setback we don't need right now, she's just caused him to suffer an emotional relapse here at the moment, wait till the quartet find about this, Beverly is going to kill her for this at the moment.' he thought to himself and tightened his arms around him.

'It's okay, it's okay, you didn't lose me, shh, it's okay.' he thought softly to him as he let him go and looked into his eyes. "I don't know about you guys, but she crossed a line that our parents are going to kill her for, because to you, we're still kids and frankly, I've been homesick. And ever since I started having those dreams, someone has been screwing with my sleep cycles lately." he said and they nodded as he went on.

"One year separation, it doesn't matter what they say, nothing's changed for me, I still need you guys like I always did right now. Realizing what she had in mind here, I wasn't considering either choice or the third at the time last night. Our conversation on the bridge last year was part of it but the last six months. Whoever's been screwing with my sleep cycles has me seeing this as if this was a movie, only far more real right now."

"And my dreams are as bad it gets, but dealing with the real thing, it's too much right now after what we've gone though together. Though at the moment she's just made me even more determined at the moment after what happened last year when he and I were on that planet at the time. It's pretty clear she never understood why you guys succumbed that fast at the time and with that in mind right now."

"It's also obvious she doesn't understand a thing about earth human ways now, if I've humiliated her on that fact, if that's the reason you've been at half strength since I left at the time. She doesn't understand what it means to be parents or mentors on earth, because of the ship was earthborn humans, this was part of our lives. But 3.5 years being raised and trained by the 20 of you, it was bound to leave its mark on both of us."

"That's the problem for mom, she had no other children and I'm an only child and for you guys, and the sextet's parents, I was your prize pupil, adopted son. Having to let go was getting harder every day for both of us, and she's not understanding that. Or why you've been acting like this since I left at the time." he said and Jenson nodded. "I'll say, 3.5 years together, we watched you grow into who you are, son, and with that."

"If she thought she could get away with this, she'd better think again, because nothing's changed in our bonds too and the way we look at you, you're still my favorite student kiddo. And she's just completely ticked me off now, though I have two of you now, it's still enough to realize that three of you is more than enough in our case now. And all Cubs with the exact same personality traits and with that in mind here now."

"You Cubs need to take it down several notches, before you scare us into a heart attack right now kiddo." he said and he smiled. "While I'm on the subject, why the heck is Derek on duty, Dave?" he asked and they sighed in exasperation as Robin answered that, bemused. "You know Derek?" she asked and he nodded in exasperation. "Yeah I know him alright, he's the source of the rumors you heard, the guy is a total jerk."

"The sextet and the team here reprimanded the quintet that landed me in the E.R. when the doctor here was our CMO. To them, they prefer kids like us in training, our personalities, we're model student officers in their eyes. But the quintet and Derek, they're part of the clique that he created when someone in sickbay dragged up my bonds with the captain. But I was their first now and you two were next, along with Jake."

"Were you guys, you and Charlie, also like me?" he asked and she nodded to him smiling. "If you mean being raised on ships and in on the job training from a certain age and earning credits by doing it for real, our instructors like your godfather, than yes. Captain Desoto allowed that with Charlie and Captain Renfield the same with me, so that makes three, and I guess that Jake was the same way after you got it then."

"Charlie's family ended up on my ship when we were ten, and before his father got assigned to the Hood, but that was when we were fifteen at the time. That added truth, I'm disgusted that Nick would stoop so low in trying to keeping you away from us at the time." she said and he nodded. "I take it there's more to that remark than you're telling me, if you're Charlie's best female friend?" he asked and she nodded as she went further.

"Let's just say that the movie version of that other Heinlein novel came to the fore right now, because he never learned his lesson at the time. I was in technical, he was command crew. Charlie was command crew, but his specialty was in every science you took, but Charlie's been my best friend since we were Cubs a little older then Alex is. It's the added jealousy of losing the girlfriend to her childhood best friend at the time."

"He never learned his lesson and made another at the time after he and Jean got together. And I told him, with Charlie and me graduating six months ago, it was time to break it off and that it was best for both of us now. Because the two of us were getting deployed, and I was going career and our assignment was being chosen soon. And that wouldn't leave any room for us at the time with him being in training stil.

"And he lost his temper after seeing Charlie move to my side, his words were an exact replicate to what the narrator told his ex girlfriend. But that sums it up now Wes, you're my type now, I choose you." she said and he nodded to her as his eyes narrowed in anger at the news. "He's driving me into exhaustion and it's because he never learned his lesson regarding the most important part of relationships."

"Mom would say that to prevent the relationship from fracturing to put things on hold and rebuild till you were back together and the blasted idiot never did that?" he said and she nodded. "Not your fault honey, he did this to himself, but if I'm who you chose there's no use fighting over it now. Aside from that, the jokes about to be on him at the moment, if you're the reason he's kept me segregated from everyone else."

"Well looks he's getting the shock of his life now, as to why I'm saying this at the moment. Did Brand ever say where she was sending you after you deployed, if he was in earshot and you guys were waiting for me to join you?" he asked and she shook her head. "No she didn't, this was a surprise she set up for you, she saw what was going on and decided to help both of us by getting you away from the squadron for a while."

"But I take it Derek wasn't like us, he was a jock officer, like whoever these guys were that the chief and the quintet here laid into?" she asked and the sextet all nodded to her gently. "No Derek and his parents were added to the crew three years ago at the same the doctor and the quintet were. But he over heard the conversation three of mom's team made regarding the virus, and here's where it really gets crude now."

"But he, Marks and their friends made up a rumor the captain and mom were having an affair, and I got in on a case of quid pro quo, in the sexual sense. That's the rumor he spread to his college age versions of himself. At the moment I don't have to hear the words, though I spoke to Anthony and Jared up in sickbay. And Eric in my apartment, and with him was Jack Davidson and they filled me in on what he did this time."

"But here's the scope of it now at the moment, after I busted him for the rumors he created about my bonds with the captain he got arrested for speedballing. Like 4 months later he got arrested a second time for not watching the Potts brothers. And a practical joke that nearly resulted in a deadly conclusion, but whatever he did this time. It's he blown his tuition after getting arrested again and has to work his way through school."

"And his parents are on sabbatical at the moment, so with that in mind here, he's a very fresh recruit. If we were the characters on that martial arts trilogy movie series, I'm playing the protagonist, he's the antognist and you're the love interest. But here's the catch now, Charlie and Jake are both sides of me as Jake is still up here and in training. Our parents all shared the same factor and it's they allowed us to be involved here."

"In on the ship politics, Derek is a recently activated training ensign, with next to no experience and the first rule to situations like this, right now. Was when it came to situations like what we're dealing with right now, our orders were to protect the Cubs and leave the dangerous pieces to the adult crew. Derek's grouping are all the 'shoot first, ask questions later' type, but that's what the crew trained me to do."

"But 'look before you leap', Derek and his friends, the quintet they ejected, never do that. He's also a hotshot in this, and to repeat Jenny's remark, while he's busy piloting the damn ship. I've got the dangerous job of protecting our surrogate baby brothers and sisters from a homicidal soldier who, once he has a phaser pointed at him, starts going berserk and he's running amok in the halls, but he's a novice in training."

"And with absolutely no field experience, not in our way, he was attempting to arrest me last night and got arrested by Data, for reckless endangerment." he said and she nodded in disgusted shock at that. "Wait Jake, as in Jake Kurland?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah, Robin, he's my other best friend, but we're a younger version to dad's squadron now, but you finished our team now." he asked and she smiled and nodded.

"Well that's the four of us, Jake is still under control, but he followed orders last night. I was here in the engine room, when the commander ordered Derek back to his quarters, before he and Charlie got into a fight over the radio and Porter ended it. But the only members of the junior crew who were supposed to be on duty, before that thing hit the ship were you, me and Charlie and he broke orders last night as a result."

"As to that the captain, and the quintet, once they hear this are going to be ticked off that he broke orders. Because once started, we'd never break our carefully planned strategy." she said and he nodded in agreement to that. "No Data freed my friends, and they're all from the SGC legacy, aside from Jake, and jake was with them, I spoke to him this morning, but time to tell them the truth." he said and she nodded to him.

"The reason for that reaction, is because we met at the academy, my ex is fixated on the fact that Charlie is my boyfriend. But I belong to Wes, he's my new boyfriend, we've been together for three months, before Brand sent Charlie and me here." she said and they nodded. "Should have seen that coming right now, after Selia, but I take it this was..." Pulaski started to say and they nodded as he answered her smiling then.

"Yeah it's happened, she's my soulmate, the one I belong to." he said and they nodded in relieved happiness. "But yes that's what happened last night alright Wes, Derek went looking for you, bumped into me, and I reprimanded him, before I arrested him. And sedated him, before getting to Dr. Anenzi and the medical staff, before getting to ten forward, and I filled them in regarding why you're leaving clues regarding these things."

"And hearing from my daughter that his communicator was wandering loose in the hallway, it meant he was attempting to arrest you. And I arrested him in response, but we had two more, in secondaries in the added back up programming on that thing. Two flip outs, regarding secondary reactions, but no one else had a reaction yet, though I think that's because we're too used to this right now." Data told him and they nodded.

"You arrested Derek, was he armed when you did that, Beverly said no weapons?!" Barnfield said and he nodded and they nodded with a furious look at that. "Damn fool, if it wasn't you and Data he'd ran into but your inspiration. That could get him killed or turned into a hostage. Looks like he's trying to get their attention back on him and back on their good side right now." Robin said and he smirked dangerously at that.

"Yeah well don't count on it, our parents and the adult crew specifically told us when it came to the dangerous situations leave it to them. The three of us may have had three to five years field experience in on the job training, but when it comes to the completely dangerous situations, like what we're dealing with right now. Just leave it to them, unfortunately none of us had a choice in the matter this time: you, me and Charlie."

"The adult crew was compromised, so us junior officers, under Data and now Dr. Pulaski are now the ones running the show till the major hot spots are clean." he said and she nodded. "Alright so why was the system in here going crazy last night, because it looked like an invisible hand punched the panel out of the way, before the isolinear chips started getting yanked out of the panel last night." she said and he smiled as he answered her.

"The first piece was the Polywater virus, that was the panel and the forcefield, second was the Iconian computer program, and that explains the Turbolifts and the last was the Nanites, which explains the sequence the systems started getting yanked. Senior staff crew orders, but the only ones around for the forcefield and thr control room are Lieutenant Shimoda and Commander MacDougal Robin." he said and she nodded to him.

"One swift warning to her by turning it into the stun setting on phasers was the added catch, get too close and you're going to knocked across the room. She doesn't understand what everything I've been doing means, because they buried it deep enough to protect me right now. And the latest one happens to be the manhunt and that's why the duo left the room, they were the ones who arrested him that first time."

"But to put this bluntly now at the moment, that forcefield I created was to keep the infected out of the control room until they got the cure. So we had no one screwing around with life support or the transporter room systems and the shuttlebay controls. Because we had hull breach of the escape hatch was blown that could kill us, so I created it, and then used it to save the entire crew by turning it into a tractor beam at the time."

"But that's what they blocked out, in fact everything I did is apart of those 3.5 years, but the one focused on being in here and the areas that those decoy phasers and faked explosion were in. They were part of my inspiration in this, I can't tel you later. But to the duo now that the guards haven't had any luck in trying to catch me, it's they're now doing it themselves and frankly she's getting irritated." he added and she nodded to him.

"That's why they left the room, your inspiration in the manhunt, was connected to those floors?" she asked and he nodded. "Yes and we all forgot he downloaded that program into our terminal, but the tractor beam, that was downloaded into the computer in the control room over there. And the forcefield was meant to keep out the infected till they were given the cure, but everything we talked about last year just hit the table."

"I knew that computer program was going to come in handy, but I wasn't expecting thirty aces up your sleeve Wes, because this is ridiculous right now." Jenson said with a bemused smile on his face and he nodded. "So just who the heck knocked the panel out of the way to eject the chips last night anyway?" Robin asked and Data answered that. "I downloaded my daughter into the computer mainframe last year."

"To get the ship grounded she dug into past memories and that panel with the control chips was the one connected to helm console on the bridge. So she pretended she was standing here physically and removed the panel, before taking out thirty of the chips." he said and she nodded as Wesley switched subjects. "Everybody okay?" he asked and they nodded. "Yeah we got the message you were telling MacGregor, but I wasn't expecting you to resort to that just to protect yourself from him, what's wrong exactly."

"Because actually going to that maneuver told me that you're more afraid of him then us if you locked the door into the entrance tubes. And set up a second on the door of your quarters, let alone Data's." Goldberg asked as he rested his hand on his shoulder. "I suppose you seen the sextet crowd around the guys when he's around?" Wesley asked and they nodded and he sighed as he explained it to them."

"To them, and me, it's like our personal boogieman is now on the ship and we're scared he's here to kidnap us." he said and they nodded. "Radue, you panicked because of him, the second you heard his voice?" Jenson said sharply and he nodded. "With him now involved in the search, it's not Radue, but just as bad right now, I don't know if he's in league with her or not, but both together." he said and Jenson nodded to him gently.

As he pulled him into a hug and he buried his head into his shoulder as he felt him lean his head against his shoulder and he rubbed his back softly. "Well don't worry now that we're back to normal, he's not getting near you kids anymore." he said as O'Brien finished it. "I think she crossed the line here because she's just caused him to revert to his second year of training at the moment regarding this situation."

"If he's reacting like this with us Dave." Barnfield said and he nodded in agreement as he held him. "It's not the 2nd year of training, but the first when I was here at the time, the trio are still infected, I'm the only one left who was around for that panic attack. She's just caused him to return to his 15 to 16 year old self emotionally regarding this, but between both together and I'm really ticked off now." Pulaski said to her with a growl.

"So who was the little brat Data sedated last night exactly?" she added and he answered that with a firm growl. "The source of the rumors you and Erica were speculating about when his system crashed that year. It was after Wes explained to us why he lost total control over this situation that he revealed to us. That Colin Marks was the catalyst and Derek Hanson was the source of said rumors regarding his and the captain's connection."

"The derogatory nickname they've been calling him is the same as the ones they called our counterparts in the 20th to early 21st centuries. And the damn idiots are suffering a psychosis regarding it and not wanting it to be anything but what they think it is. And he dropped the bomb after Hanson's irresponsbility nearly killed Billy Potts last year. After a practical joke nearly took a deadly turn." Jenson said and she nodded in disgust at that.

"Said over reaction, is I'm his coach, but the six of us together were the ones he spent the most time with, before and after you arrived. Which is why he waited till after Data freed us, before he dropped in, so we could talk regarding this at the moment." he added as he let him go and looked at his hand and then into his eyes. "I take it you had to make it look real last night if there's a scar across your palm here, son."

"Because the shrapnel was all rusted after the explosion, and you needed a tetanus shot for this?" he asked and Wesley nodded. "Yeah, the shard that was left on the table was the alibi to why I headed for quarters in the first place here at the moment right now. That I had to go to stage acting to get your parental instincts to start going crazy, though in truth, it's the exhaustion, hunger and fatigue was enough here, last night."

"But not realizing I walked right into T-95, before I grabbed the two he found sitting on the table. But my exhaustion was so bad that I barely missed landing on a piece of it for real, in both spots and I remember what your remark was regarding that. But considering this was likely going to mean a severe recharge and decided, before I did anything else, I had to get a better look at them, to know whether or not they were."

"And I headed for my apartment and quickly yanked the medical equipment needed and started on this. But to prevent a real infection I had to use the vaccine in my mom's cabinet here. Because those two shards sitting on the table were rusted and I was due for my booster anyway. So I took it myself and then did the added improv to cover a reason to why I came in there in the first place, in addition to my supplies."

But this and the one my leg were for the act and everything else was improv. So I had her think I was really wounded in the middle of this and made it look like for you to have your parental instincts acting up right now, that I really did land on a few pieces. Though at the moment, this keeps up and it's not this laying me out, but sprained joints." he said and she repeated that remark in shocked disbelief as Robin looked at his uniform.

"Both, Porter said your trousers from the thigh down were soaked in blood, you mean to tell me you barely missed landing on the shrapnel, before you got to your apartment. Alright so vein/artery healer, laceration healer, skin knitter, in that order, and you replicated the units in your blood type to make it look like you had collapsed in the tunnel and landed on several pieces of shrapnel in there?" MacDougal said in shock then.

"Yeah, but if this gets any worse, it's not these injuries that lay me out, but the possibility of sprained joints and muscle spasms that are going to do it." he said and she sighed as she answered him. "At the rate this is going the rest of us are not going to make it if you keep this up, we've had one too many scares regarding you, now take it down several notches will you please." she said in answer to that firmly as they sighed.

"At the moment, it's several cases child abuse, reckless endangerment, and two to three other things in addition to this. But if this next sprains my ankle or worse and mom's going to kill her because she barely caused two near fatal injuries had I not done things and stopped in that tunnel. But near case of tetanus, and the next is possible sprained joints, but I had to wait for him, before I could tell you." he said and they nodded to him.

"And now that we are back to normal, I'm just saying this now, but nicely done guys, you're doing beautilfully at the moment in this. Data, how many, in total, got released on the ship last night, before you hit us, because we've got 130 people in here right now. And I need a swift headcount so I can pass that to Beverly and the captain after they're freed." O'Brien asked and he explained that.

"In total from every room there were 230, I got to Porter and Davidson as well, so that's close to 265 now." he said and they nodded. "So of 1,445 people on board, 360 are released from the brainwashing at the current moment. If you did us next, it's because you needed our help to get that cure into the computer so we can hit everyone all at once." O'Brien said and he nodded to him as the trio sighed at the remark then gently.

"Great, with the fact we're next it's we've got the hard part in slowing them down once this gets started a second time at the moment." he said and Wesley sighed. "No I got the hard in this by keeping them and the guards out of the room while you're doing this." he said and they nodded. "Well that's one piece, but Eric gave us the description of what was in your first aid kit baby, caffeine withdrawal?" Barnfield said and he nodded to her.

"It's not what you're thinking Jenny, ever since Geordi's getting turned into an assassin, I have been having repeated nightmares about you guys, to block it out." he said and she nodded. "All this week I've been trying to keep it hidden, with everyone infected or about to be. And evidently she was trying to catch me in the act, because that's what set off the emergency alarm last night." he said and she nodded as Jenson said it firmly.

"She knows, if those pills or whatever are part of her plan your mother is going to kill her when she's back to normal." he said with a furious growl at that as Robin switched subjects. "As for those rumors, I'd never buy that crap anyway. For us half and half we wouldn't buy that crap anyway and trace it back to the source and go right to the victim of said rumors, I take it these idiots are the all jock type at the moment, let me guess."

"They were his kind and after he got caught, he got arrested twice, before he blew his tuition and scholarship and now is training in on the job training?" she asked and they nodded. "Yes that's it exactly Robin, Derek was a recently activated on the job trainee, of just five months just before you and Charlie arrived, but we took an active interest in Wes's training from the time he was fifteen and Derek was getting jealous about that."

"Wesley was our first in on the job training job training and we quickly saw how good he really is, after Derek and his parents as well as his college age friends arrived. Wes was in the job the training, and earning credits by doing it for real. But we preferred his personality, and yours, Charlie's and Jake's. All of you were the half soldier/half scientist, but you don't use weapons, instead the only weapon you use is your mind."

"In truth that's the most dangerous weapon there is, that you can think your way out of the box, and you're doing wonderfully right now working as a team too." Jenson said to her and she smiled. "Just one of me is fine, but no more than two at the moment or that diminishes me, and Charlie. And in more ways than you can possibly imagine at the moment, though Derek is like his college age versions of himself and the commander."

"By that I mean Dave here, was just promoted to lieutenant commander at the time Derek and the quintet arrived. But I became his favorite student, because after the catalyst that this started with at the time. He and the rest of the team started training me in working here in the engine room. But the reason he's been acting like this, is because his friends were ejected from the ship, and it's because of a violation."

"That Dave laid into the leader of the group about after he tried to start a fight with me in ten forward last year." he said and she and Pulaski looked at him in shock. "Just what happened to cause that exactly?" she asked and Jenson crossed his arms as he explained that to her. "Aside from outside influences, we had a Sarek here and he was suffering from Bendii syndrome, which evidently interacts with any type of substance abuse."

"Remember your remark about how the jealousy would eventually shift from jibes and insults to shifting into full violence mode sooner or later, Kate?" he asked and she nodded. "Yeah I do and I take it did now, huh?" she asked and he nodded to her. "Yeah, but the captain and Beverly specifically forbid drinking when on duty, especially with Sarek and his party on the ship, no one was supposed to be drinking more than two."

"And with these guys being no older than 25, they crossed the line between healthy and going into a drinking binge that night. After the six of us, Geordi and Wes got into conversation over what the heck was going on around here lately at the time. The leader of the group was Marks." he said and she looked at him in shock. "Marks walked into sickbay when Will was standing over him and was in shock at the way he was acting."

"I saw the fear in his eyes at the way Will was treating him like his son, so eighteen months later the jealousy gets worse, simply because Will decided to act the father?" she said and he nodded. "Yeah and he started a fight with him, and he wasn't just drunk, he was speedballing. And after telling him three times to calm down, we went to see what was going on, as with Data, let alone the duo, not in the room that left it to us now."

"After asking the question, Marks went off on me, and I warned him to cool down as Wes told us what was going on, before Miles ran his tricorder over him. And we got the results back as he was three times the legal limit and needed to be in the tank. After warning him five times to calm down, his friend Henderson hit Wes hard enough to knock him into the table and he hit the corner of it, head first and that did it for me."

"As we arrested them, but their entire clique was drunk and it took calling in back up to get things under control. Because that was the match that lit the fuse, before it reached the gun powder and exploded just as the commander and Worf walked into the room." he told her and they nodded in shock. "So why the heck is Derek trying to start something with Charlie, was it authentic or a duplicate?" she asked and he sighed gently.

"That was a duplicate of what happened 3 hours after the riot, and we arrested Derek for being drunk that night. But concussions and that syndrome don't mix, because the only thing Wes was on was the effects of that syndrome. But he provoked him into the fight, before Wes went to alerting us he needed back up. But what Charlie did that night, the night Derek nearly killed him, was a repeat." O'Brien said to her gently and she nodded.

"Said repeat was duplicated and I was the victim last time, but what happened to Charlie last month was a duplication of last year. Just with me: but same hallway, same wall, same panel, though I had a head injury, they prevented whatever happened to Charlie from happening to me as well. And by the commander calming me down, though I just barely collapsed as a result, as I said he's my godfather, so only he could do it."

"But head injuries are another way for the syndrome to affect you and as a result, the only thing I'm on. Are the effects of Sarek's loss of control while Derek was drunk and speedballing that night. Alright what the hell did he do to him exactly if they're beyond furious at this at the moment. Let alone you, if Charlie ended up in my mother's care exactly?!" Wesley asked with a firm growl and she sighed as she explained that to him.


	16. 16: Truths And Medical Issues

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs tome and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Warnings:** **Sorry everyone, I lost 80% of this chapter I have to redo it, but the rest of the story is still there so it's going to be back on the wall. Just as soon as I finish this chapter and get a replacement chapter 11 up, but the added numbers are going to result in 20 chapters. As this story focuses on the Game, and the next one focuses on the aftermath to it and leading the next Episode.**

 **Chapter** **16: The Reunion Part II**

"He's your possible new rival for my hand, he's been asking me out repeatedly, since we arrived, but he's not my type, wrong personality at the moment. Charlie chose you, from the second we met, he knows you'd protect me. He and I were part of the same graduating class if you'd been with us when we were at the academy, though thankfully you didn't at the time. But at the moment, it's the act of that Hinton novel now."

"He's the drunken rich kid, or just the act of that martial arts movie trilogy that starred this guy, as Derek is acting like the bully of a black belt on the movie. So three movies in one, but they all point to the same fact, but Charlie and Jake are trying to protect me as I'm the female lead Charlie and Jake are the duo, that's including Macchio's character, if Harry or Mason had been in the hallway at the time and that's what scares me."

"Our job was to look after the kids, but he's too drunk to follow the rules and had the fight been anymore serious that night. She said and he nodded as he closed his eyes in anger at the news. "The attack would have traumatized the duo for life had Charlie been killed, yeah I get it honey and with that. We've been through one trauma with Radue, this, it's enough to scar my little brothers for life had that happened for real."

"Guys tell me you." he started to say and the sextet nodded. "Don't worry honey, we did, he ended up losing his scholarship for that. But your mother was furious, because he ended up needing extensive healing in both arms. And a blood tranfusion, because he barely killed him in the fight. Charlie's just as good as you are, and though he's not you, he's created his own place in our hearts." Barnfield told him and he nodded gently.

"Your brothers?" Robin repeated and he nodded. "Yeah, the boys, Alex, Tarah, Rosie and Katie, the seven of us were kidnapped by the people of a planet by the name of Aldea. Their leader looked and looks like the new security guard, just twenty years older, this situation cemented the bond between us. And we adopted each other as brothers and sisters to each other, with you guys being my friends, they adopted you too."

"Data just gave the details regarding Charlie at the moment last night, and his skills are a match up to mine, in everything that the adult crew sees in me now." he told her and she nodded in amazement to that. "Nice twist, so why were the group so affected by this?" she asked and Barnfield answered that. "It's because seeing him in every place that we normally saw Wes in is the catch, though we have him right now."

"We watched Wes grow up, seeing him in his element, watching him help us when we needed it. Seeing someone else just like him sitting in his place has affected us so much that it's hitting them and us hard right now. The sextet especially right now, as a crew, we became surrogate family to each other, it's the act of the first born cub, our prize pupil leaving the nest now, though we have him, we want our cub back."

"As to that, with him on sabbatical once this is over we have them both, though he's been lonely without any kids like him around. Though its two fold here, him for us and us for him, he wasn't ready to leave last year and we weren't ready to let him go. The captain definitely wasn't ready to let go and with that in mind this is going to help all of us once this is done with." She told her and Robin nodded as he answered her.

"Nice to know he was filling in that piece of me in your lives, but at the moment, once this is over you got both of us. I only gained four nights of uninterrupted sleep and real food, right now. But I'm far from fully recovered, I don't know how dangerous my level was before I came home, but this may drop me to whatever level I was at when Jaan was still here." he said and she nodded as she looked at him gently at that.

As she stroked her hand through the hair at the back of his head and he pulled her into hug as she tightened her arms around him. "I don't know why I bothered leaving now, I miss you guys. But being put into a position I never wanted, this is too much right now." he said to her softly and she nodded as she rubbed his back gently. "That's the added side effect regarding bonding this tightly to your parental guardians now."

"Not wanting to let go of the safety net, with your mother planetside, you turned to us and after a year of taking care of you ourselves. It's making it harder to let go now, but at the moment you won't need to now, because with you looking like this your mother. And the trio, are yanking the three fold card rule and you're staying home indefinitely now." Jenson said and Pulaski finished that remark gently at that as she looked at him.

"With what Eli just showed me in that self exam you did, this is enough you're staying home anyway. After the riot in ten forward and then your recovery from the knack. It's enough that these situations are enough to cause a heart attack if this gets any worse. But Wes, take it down several notches or Will's going to have one next, out of getting the life scared out of him." she said bemused and he nodded as Robin hid a smile at that.

"There a reason you're calling the commander by name, Doctor?" she asked and she smiled as she answered her. "His father was and is a friend of mine, at the moment though, they patched up their differences and if that's what one of the deprogramming moves were. And you read my mind about deprogramming at the time as well too. But it's to bring back the memory of when he been offered command of the Aries."

"And Kyle was the one sent to prepare him for it at the time, while the Klingon ceremony was for that same week at the time, so two situations in one week, and they decided to resolve his leaving him. By getting into an Anbo Jyisitsu match and Will released his anger at his abandoning him finally at the time, they're still patching things up. But after that whatever bond he and Wesley created since I came into his life this got added to it."

"Will became his godfather after Beverly left, but Kyle his grandfather after that, so with that in mind every deprogramming maneuever he used was because he knows. He knows exactly what's bothering them and while you guys are adding on the charade by acting like you're compromised, he's working at disabling the control she has on them, but nice teamwork guys." she said and the young couple nodded as she said it to him.

"At the moment, had the four of us and Kate been your squadron that would solve whatever problems you had with Nick right now. But to switch subjects, if Derek is your rival I think whatever your remark was regarding Charlie. It's just got thrown at Derek instead right now Wes, as to why I'm saying that. It's because whatever Ensign Barnfield said about him just landed itself on the table regarding his college age versions."

"And that would be it in this situation at the moment, but it was fate that you never met us till now, though if you and he become and became friends now, it's enough that once you go back I've got him to take care of me. But I don't want to be involved with Derek in the way we, you and me, are together. You're more my type and like I told you, it's enough to aggravate the adult crew if this leads too trouble later on at the moment."

"It's the 'shoot first, ask questions later' category here and everyone is getting aggravated at his behavior right now. Especially the adult crew, you're more my type, Wes, and your mother is going to agree when I say this at the moment right now. But I'm sure she'd approve now, of the fact that you did this without getting too reckless at the moment, but Charlie's my best friend and the three of us are the same type."

"He and I've known each other for seven years and though I love him, I don't love him like that. Aside from that, us waiting till after your symptoms got worse, and whatever's causing you to be looking like this, but doing research before we started. But your mother is getting sick of patching him up, because he keeps winding up with injuries." she told him and he nodded to her as he sighed as he answered her.

"So this is across between that Hinton novel and the novel focused on the good wizarding trio, he's just like me, but a bit more reckless in terms of it at times. But I'm playing the lead character, and you're my trio, but our personalities are in reverse, and you chose me. But you love him like brother, while Derek won't take no for an answer right now." he asked and she nodded in answer to they and he sighed in exasperation at that.

"Terrific, so he's been trying to get you to start dating him, since he saw you, but Charlie and Jake had you surrounded till I came home. Till finally the latest fight nearly kills my partner out of a near fatal injury. Well I can see this is going to be a problem when he finds out that you chose me now. But the mind meld is going to get the venting needed so we can both recover and he's obviously still holding in a lot of resentment."

"And for whoever got him in trouble with the cops, if he did get in trouble with them, though the internal security contingent is just as bad at the moment. In Derek's case it's even worse in this and as to why I'm saying this at the moment. It's he's the shoot first ask questions later type and prior to my leaving he got arrested for speedballing with the ethanol last year. And number two I'll explain later, but here's the scope of it now."

"But the captain gave him a lecture last year after he got arrested for not watching the Potts brothers and it's not like life in the outside world here. As the ship is a flying colony and with that is my mother is part of the council, and the security is acting as the internal police affairs up here. But he's hoping to make it into the academy by scholarship and being a pilot, but that's not all there is to it at the moment right now."

"If you want to make it up here or in life you better start paying attention in class and if you get in trouble when at the academy, or in college. And that's going to blow your shot, but two strikes hit before I left and here's the latest one. So strike three with the cops and he's lost his scholarship at the academy, and has to work his way through college right now." he said and sighed as he finished that remark to her gently.

"But at the rate this is going it's enough that his take charge manner is going to be vented into this situation at the moment. But everything that we keep buried emotionally comes pouring out when you get hit by that syndrome. As to that, expect this to get a bit vocal and near physical as he unleashes every amount of resentment. Or just by anyone who did the mind meld with the Vulcan that had it and with that in mind right now."

"The amount of resentment in him, and whatever slight jealousy he has, it's directed at whoever got him in trouble with the cops at the moment, he's not talking about me. But the exchange between us tomorrow once we deal with this is enough to get your attention, but whoever he is, I have to meet him face to face. Because you graduated from the academy, just before I joined my squadron at the moment back then."

"Alright guys is he even bothering to get to know you right now, and I mean in the bond we have with each other?" Wesley asked and Jenson answered that. "No it's been four months and he hasn't bothered to get into conversation in the way we do, and did. And it's the professional relationship in his case and not the bond of true friends and surrogate family we have with each other, son." he said and he nodded to him.

"Yeah I figured, he can't understand everything I do regarding your feelings at the time, as I know you better than you know yourselves, even programmed. And it's because of four years worth of bonds in friendship and you're practically my adoptive parents in the same way the sextet are." he said and he nodded as he gave him a hug and Wesley closed his eyes as he tightened his arms around his shoulders, before letting go then.

"That's the bond between you and the sextet and seven here, close friends and surrogate family?" Robin asked and they all nodded. "Yeah that's right, we were all here from the day of deployment. Dr. Pulaski met me a year later, but our friendship is enough I could turn to her regarding my training and it looks like I have to do that now, regarding this, because the last time she saw me like this was three years ago."

"But the commander made it pretty clear, he and the others had zero tolerance for whatever stunts and attitude Derek is pulling at the moment. In truth they prefer my and your attitudes here at the moment because I've been like this since we deployed. Though thankfully nothing is getting in the way of that now, As to why, it's because I'm a Starfleet officer here and I'm doing my duty, but he's just a kid in their eyes."

"I'm an equal, but you guys and I just gave the show and experience needed to keep our color designations. Though you graduated ten months ago you just passed initiation into your color designation you're now an equal like I am, Robin. To make it to that position it's by taking the initiative, working as a team and outsmarting the opponent. And if they possessed your own people and we just did that together now as to that right now."

"But I'm in command crew officers training, red, as is he, you're a technician, and you're in gold, and we earned the right to wear our uniforms now and we keep our colors. So two red and a gold and we worked as one all night and this afternoon, and to them, and our parents. It's enough that they're going to be more than proud at the way we pulled this off once my mother and the quintet are back to be themselves again."

"Because we just did what no recently graduated cadet, or just activated cadet could do and it's thanks to working as a team. And because we all had one thing in common and it's we all share the same factors to us in this at the time. In truth if I'd gotten in at the same you did, this would have ended in the expansion, but my flunking the first try just saved the entire federation now at the moment, but we all share that same bond."

"And it's because we all got the field experience and we worked as a team now to pull this, but experience teamwork, and patience did it now, but Derek blew his training lesson. He just started his training and he's a very fresh recruit to the ship. As to that in their eyes we're equals and he's a rookie playing with the big boys now." he said to her gently and she nodded as she got it then as they nodded in agreement to that.

"Yeah well we're not done yet at the moment we still have a long way to go here, Wes. And with that in mind whatever code you put into that programming, if it's aggravating the command staff, had to be important now." she said, and in answer to that the computer answered her. **_"Wes created a sentient program so I could control the entire system and he could call on me during this situation last night."_**

 ** _"Which as it turned out was a much needed situation with the fact that Etana Lol brought out your alter egos Ensign Lefler. He's advised me to follow orders given to me by you, the engineering crew and Dr. Pulaski once you and the engine crew are back to normal now."_** Lal said and she nodded to that. "I got to get used to having you talk to me like this now, if this was part of it and with that in mind."

"How long has it been since he downloaded that program into your memory banks?" she asked and it explained that. **_"It's been approximately 14 months, since our previous encounter with Lore. But to answer the unasked question here, is he's Father's brother. That last encounter was after Dr. Noonian Soong hijacked the ship. It was after implanting a homing beacon into Commander Data's memory banks last year and he created and finished my new software as a result."_**

 ** _"So to prevent that or having any more hijackings by your alter egos, or duplicates, let alone anything else that could hijack me or my memory banks. And prevent the auto destruct from being activated while doing it. He created my sentient programming and the code he gave after he set up the final decoy was the access code to turn my programming on, last night at the time."_**

 ** _"And I've been active ever since, but it was emergencies purposes only, like this situation at the moment and with that in mind. Though the fact that if this isn't over yet. Commander, Doctor Pulaski I recommend you suggest to the trio to leave me on for another month like this. I can help find the secondary host if he's still on board the ship."_** She said and she nodded to that as she answered that.

"Why the heck are you sounding nearly human right now?" Shimoda asked and he heard a chuckle at that. **_"If you recall that 20th century movie focused on a talking plant, my new software enables me to speak to you like you do now. But at the moment it's being like I always have been with you at the moment, Jim."_** she said and he nodded in bemusement as the team exchanged looks at the news at that

"Well I can see that the captain is going to be driven nuts when you're talking to us while we're trying to get our jobs done and with that. Try not to get to insubordinate once we do this portion of the situation, would you please." Pulaski said with a bemused smile on her face at this. "Oh my god, this is getting ridiculous right now, it's one thing in the middle of a normal situation, but this situation, it's gone passed crazy at the moment."

"And is now bordering on psychotic here, alright, alright, before you start getting ideas of trying to drive us further up the wall. Just wait till this is finished and reveal to them your added new touch this, would you." Barnfield said as she tried to keep from laughing at that. "And that was something we'd forgotten thankfully, our memories of his planting that programming into the ship's computer at the time it was, before he left."

"For the academy last year was something we forgot by the time he left for the academy Robin. So with that in mind it's just another piece she didn't know and the list just keeps getting longer from there right now. And with that reactivate the clock, countdown on three hours exactly here in the engine room, because the test isn't over yet, we have to get her to incriminate herself." Jenson said to her, then as he looked at the computer.

"Wait what?" she repeated and O'Brien answered that remark. "It's time for a sting operation, with us back to normal now, he needs to finish this, but at the moment it's just getting her to incriminate herself now regarding him." he said and she nodded as she gave the order. "Alright activate programme 324564725655835 gamma, execute." she said and in response the they heard a loud static burst come over the radio.

 ** _"Engineering the computer monitor up here is getting a bit erratic, is anything strange going on down there."_** they heard from Picard and O'Brien quickly answered him at that. "Negative Captain we're still trying to clear the podium of whatever he used to take control of the ship here." he said and he heard Geordi answer him ** _. "Alright keep me apprised, Chief O'Brien."_** he said and he nodded as he answered him.

"Will do." he said and they sighed in relief. "It worked, well if she doesn't realize we're back to normal, or that whatever code you just gave has activated in the system, she doesn't realize she's just lost control of the situation twice in 24 hours right now." Jenson said and he nodded in agreement. "Like I said, team work is the only way to beat an opponent like this, you jump too fast it's going to backfire right now at the moment."

"And with that in mind, it's why this Chase has lasted this long, I've been taking my time and gave Data the time needed to hit the spots needed to break her control. But ten forward, the lounges and sickbay are clear now. And you're the latest, but lockdown both ways into the room, there's no going anywhere. And not until Data deactivates the programming on the sextet and the entire ship now, but here's the thing."

"What you just did Chief, they were acting like that too, to get past scrutiny and protect themselves now, act like you're still compromised. But Doctor, you better wear that headset, it's a mock up of the real one, so you can get passed the security teams here once you get back up there, and get to work with Dr. Anenzi. But to put this bluntly to make sure the quintet don't realize you, or whoever came with you."

"Are aboard, I'm keeping it up in playing decoy while you get that cure into the computer and deal with damage control. Because if I know the duo, they dropped the act of letting the security teams look for me and are doing it themselves now. But get that programming into every computer screen, terminal and workstation on the ship. In fact computer, once the cure is programmed into your memory and is in the computers."

"Hit everyone working at a computer terminal, at every station that has it, block Dr. Pulaski from the sensors so she can get by undetected and with her whoever just arrived and Commander Data." Wesley said and she nodded to the suggestion then as she answered him at that. "Nice move and to answer your question, Kyle was sent to tell the captain and Will regarding the added conspiracies and we wind up with another."

"While I was coming to report the added medical conspiracy to Beverly. But if all three are connected it's making sure we kill this first part of it, before we deal with the rest. Though if your health is now connected to it, if you look like this and they're going to be furious at that. And we've gone over this repeatedly as well, if the sextet are now compromised, who knows regarding your health right now." she said and he nodded.

"Data does, but she deactivated him up until Robin, Charlie and I figured out what the heck was going on around here. Jake never got his chance, because he got infected like the others. After the rendenzvous with her, I realized that I was now the required target she was trying to get a hold of, because that thing spread like a wild fire around here. After a sudden pre emptive strike that was enough to throw her off."

"And I've been going on stealth for the last 18 to 20 hours since, but four hours in the run around, seven resting for the night and five more creating several caches, before I planted the one that caused them to find me in the extension shaft. But that was on purpose to get them out of the room, so Data and you could hit engineering next. And I could tell you what the heck going on." he told her and she sighed and nodded to him.

"So she prevented your chance at telling the quartet, including your mother and Jean Luc in that remark, by getting to the duo and with them now compromised. They're about to hear this as you waited till now to tell them, when in actual fact 'she' just prevented your telling them that. And the fact that Kyle and I were coming to bring back added information regarding this conspiracy right now." she said and he nodded to her gently.

"Kyle, who's Kyle exactly?" Robin asked and he explained that. "Specialist Kyle Riker, he's dad's father, my adoptive grandfather, the last time I saw him was close to three years ago. And she was our CMO at the time, but it was after getting hit by the knack which was a mind control technique the Selelvians have. But dad stayed, because of me and Deanna, she and he were together prior to meeting here at the time."

"As for the doctor, she and Riker had a relationship before the transfer and dad turned it down for us at the time, but that sums it up right now. With her being part of the crew she saw me in the first, full, real year of my training and at the moment the boneheaded catalyst that started that. But Derek left his envy and jealousy take hold and is about to get his comeuppance, though we ejected the other five from the ship."

"Because if Charlie is getting this reckless in his training, it means Hanson is at it again and I don't have to hear the words to know he's Charlie's catalyst at the moment." he said and she nodded in agreement. "You said the commander was your godfather?" she repeated and he nodded. "Yeah mom named him and Deanna, Counselor Troi, my godparents, the captain knew my mother for 25 years and as for Geordi."

"Commander La Forge, he's a good friend, but she named the quartet my guardians when she left. But at the moment Dr. Pulaski doesn't need to hear that the nickname started up again." he said as Pulaski sighed in concerned aggravation as she answered that. "You're right, I don't need to hear the words at the moment to know that the trouble just started up a second time, because if that did start up again."

"And heads are going to roll right now for it, because once was enough in this case regarding that in your case at the time, if Charlie Dayton is now dealing with it. Looks like you found another version of yourself who can actually keep up with you at the moment. If Hanson is now aggravating him to know end right now at the moment, but we can discuss this later, but until then time to focus on the immediate problem."

"Thanks for the heads up Wes, so I take it you used Will's training in how to get in and out of a conspiracy undetected right now?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah, but we decided on a bait and switch so I could find out who their programmer was. I'm just saying Charlie's remark right now, but at the moment it doesn't pay to let your guard down right now and if he hadn't it's not a trio, but a quartet that would doing this."

"And instead it results in her needing to play the bait while I'm busy playing decoy, draining my reserves, but she didn't know where I was. Because I didn't tell her the entire time we separated last night. And said I was dealing with it myself while getting Data back online and 'she' doesn't realized she'd been set up, the games have shifted from her control of this to ours." he said and they nodded to him gently at the news.

"Out smart the opponent, you guys are working in this together, her reaction wasn't genuine, it was staged?" Barnfield repeated and he nodded to her. "Yeah, part of a conspiracy, to keep from getting caught, play along, make eye contact and just relax. But she was acting the entire time that the commander, and you guys, busted her." he said and they nodded as she wrapped her arm around his waist and Jenson repeated that.

"Wait a minute, she was playing the bait, so while she played decoy, you were getting the information needed to find out who the conspirator was so you could do this, Wes?" Jenson repeated and they nodded. "Yeah we evaded capture twice, and she decided to set up herself up for capture, but two counts bodily harm in our cases. As well as child abuse and the charges keep getting worse from there for 'her' now at the moment."

"But we were in this together from the very beginning tonight, Dave, as to that, Derek just flunked this particular test now, if something seems strange about the situation, ask questions. Charlie traced the pattern, told me and I decided on a test to catch her, and we went to avoiding detection twice, but she broke ten rules in a conspiracy. And I nailed her in ten minutes, but Derek, just flunked his training test today and last night."

"And Jake if he'd been smart, he'd have joined us in the lab so we could work as one, get Data back on line and the games have begun after that. So if Jake had joined us in the lab, that would do it, he'd meet me on deck 6 and it's I've got a partner helping out, but no. But he wasn't paying attention to things and the pattern, and he's just become the victim, like you have, Charlie watched my back." he said and the team all nodded to him.

"Wait a minute, Charlie recommended breaking up the security teams into pairs last night, were you listening to the conversation in your quarters when Eric and Daniel were in there?" Jenson asked and he nodded and he thought it over and chuckled. "We've been had, Charlie's the plant, so one cub playing decoy, another playing the bait. And the third playing the plant and it all comes together once all five hotspots are cleaned now."

"Our little Cubs were working as a team last night and this morning to keep this up and that last strategy, before the false alarms was when we were doing wargames with the Hathaway at the time. Nice touch kids you really out maneuvered her last night, but you better take it down a notch slightly here. But at least you're not trying to show off to us and not in a crisis, you know better than that." he said and the duo nodded, smiling.

"No kidding, at the moment the kid is trying to show off to us and that's something you never did, and as the commander said, we have zero tolerance for that anyway and not when in the middle of a crisis too. Though at the current moment with the fact you've been jumping floors for the last 13 hours, this game, in her opinion. Is getting annoying right now at the moment." O'Brien said with a smile and he nodded with a chuckle then.

"I turned it into a game of chess, hide and seek and freeze tag with the scavenger hunt to go with it. Looks like she's not understanding the culture references, if she thinks I'm looking to attack her head on. Because I'm not that reckless, in fact it's stealth and survival skills that have made it last this long and it's staying that way till Data takes over." he said and the older man chuckled and nodded in agreement to that.

"Choices one through three result in the expansion, choice four is a win, it's that obvious now and we know that, though she doesn't. But Derek is going to see your choices in this as a waste of time though." he said and Wesley nodded to him. "Derek, uh huh, yeah that's what a spec ops officer thinks regarding us half soldier/half scientist, in these situations, but you jump feet first into it, and it's going to backfire on you."

"Every second counts in these situations, and pulling repeated reckless stunts wastes time and energy and you need to keep yourself strong and focused. So if no access to sickbay is available, go to an alternative if your parent is an M.D., create a survival kit. And then create several more after you had a chance to rest and eat now. That's a true scientist/soldier's motive of dealing with these scenarios at the moment."

"But dodging the security teams and trying to get to ten forward, by the main hall, is a waste of time and energy and it's beyond reckless. I'm sticking to the tunnels and using my survival skills just to do this." he said and the man smiled proudly as they looked at him smiling at his advanced knowledge. "I knew we trained you well Wes, but that's exactly what the commander and Greyson are going to say when they hear this later."

"You certainly pulled it off, but with him being a newly appointed member of the crew and he's just begun the simulations at the academy. We're going to have to explain this to him, but your quoting our own lessons to you now, it's enough he's going to lose his temper, but he's your exact opposite in training. While Charlie is so much like you, we feel like we're seeing you in your element when you were still here."

"To the point that watching him in everything you used to do with the duo is what opened up that scar, and I think you better talk to the duo once we finish this, you guys need to clear the air between you now. The captain and the commander miss you more than they know. But Derek, Hanson I mean, is more reckless, hot tempered and a bit impatient, you're more like the commander and he's just like Ro Laren."

"So watch out for that." he said and Wes covered his eyes. "That's just great, he's a very fresh recruit assigned to on the job training, I'm an apprentice of three years worth of skill in on the job training and in his eyes. I'm the one who's arrogant, simply because I'm not getting that reckless at the moment. Well once I free all of them, he's hearing your words in my voice regarding your opinions, because like I said back then."

"I don't have to hear your thoughts, and it's because I can practically read your mind on the fact that his attitude is something you, as the adult crew, has had enough of it now. And with that, you all have zero tolerance for showing off, hotdogging, going by his gut instincts or his trying to act like a hero at the moment in the lab or the bridge. And definitely not when in the middle of a crisis, said crisis an incursion, or worse."

"Like the one she, Charlie and I are dealing with right now, though not quite single handedly here, but close enough in comparison right now." he said and he nodded in agreement to his thoughts as he smiled as he said it. "I mean: transporter room 4, turbolift 5, overloading phaser, you see the pattern as it goes down the line. Which of the ship's manhunts resulted in all of these as the pattern goes down the list."

"And from there: anesthezine, cargo bay 6. And I start playing around with two terminals in JP-C in the Jeffries tubes and I just did his tactic in reverse after the duo left the room. And I threw my communicator to add on to it while doing it, when this chase down started last night. Because without Data you can't find him, or in this chase down you can't find me?" he asked and O'Brien answered that question as he smiled as he said it.

"Roga Danar, you decided on using every memory that we forgot against her and that's the reason the chase down has lasted this long. Nice touch son, though it's working, if they haven't realized it yet, they will now once you lead them on a case of misdirection. With the fact you're in here while you're getting them into the turbolift shaft was that part of the plan, reverse the ambush?" he said and Wesley nodded to him smiling.

"Yeah that's it, turn it into a scavenger hunt and lead her on a wild goose chase, though that explains why the alarms keep going of this morning. But it's enough of the fun and games and time to get serious, because it's turned into a sting operation now at the moment. Because of the two of us, I'm doing this when I'm not fully up to speed and it's taking every ounce of skill I have to do this without getting arrested right now."

"As it is, just to finish this, the situation in your eyes went from irresponsible and right to reckless. But it's half done now, phase three begins now and it's enough to drain what's left of my strength in phase four, so get ready for that, chief, as we had this discussion already, last year. And I told you what the side effects of it were going to be if it lasted longer than necessary, but that's the problem, it's not you, but the new guy, the guard."

"That I'm afraid of right now, whoever he is, it's enough I'm staying out of sight, you guys, I know you better than she does, and I trust you with my life. Him, not a chance, whatever his motive for transferring here is. I bet it's part of her plan once we beat her in this round, but round two, that's what you've got to be worried about right now. And with those words in mind right now at the moment." he said as he looked at the man.

"I know you're annoyed at the fact I had to do this in the condition I am, but it's the only option now. But after this is over, I'm taking a sabbatical from the academy though with our conversation last year and our bond, and if this gets worse. I'm stuck at home anyway, because of the medical diagnostics." he said and the technician nodded as he answered him. "Thanks for the heads up son, we need you here at the moment."

"Though with you looking like this, it's better safe than sorry to prevent you from ending up in the hospital, because you collapsed at the controls of your star fighter. Though with what we already discussed, I'm not risking it right now anyway, you're like my son, I'm not losing you right now." He said to him and Pulaski nodded in agreement to that remark. "Wait a minute Wes, why are you..." Robin started to ask and the older man quickly explained that to her as he got the underlying message Wesley gave him.

"I'm one of fifteen members of the crew, next to the sextet, he trusts, I was also involved in a survival training and stealth exercise last year before he left for the academy. That test went on for two weeks and he created the amount of bags he did for this, but it's enough that I know him so well I could find him without a problem. The added test was a slight scavenger hunt mixed with a bonding exercise."

"So he and the commander could test the strength of their relationship, just in case this went on longer than necessary right now at his week. I'd be able to find him and get him to relax if he was so exhausted he was on auto pilot. Though thank god he got rid of his phaser, or the paranoia is enough he'd stun anyone who got near him. And especially if he's running a fever and hurt, and that's enough to worry the 13 of us as well."

"I'm just relieved that it didn't last longer than necessary or what you told us last year would be the result right now. As to that, let's just finish this and you can fill us in later son, okay. I'm guessing Data got me out of the transporter room so you could do Maitenance on the engines before the games began, huh?" he asked and Wesley nodded to him. "Who's the new guy, the security guard, exactly?" he asked him and he sighed.

"Lieutenant Laredo MacGregor, what's wrong exactly?" he asked him and he sighed as he swallowed hard as he answered him. "Chief, those nightmares I had during my recovery from the flu were focused on 'him'. I tried five times to get us out and you in and I got arrested every single time. If this was the third film focused on that mental lunatic, he's the idiotic female counselor who's decisions resulted in what was left of the block."

"To be murdered, he's my version of her, while this guard, I think you already know the answer to that question. But guys, add the twenty years to his face, different set of clothes and me back on Aldea, and take the four years off me now and the same goes for the sextet and there's your answer. He looks just like him, but as a younger version of him, every time he comes near us in the corridors, the sextet crowd around me."

"And Alex practically jumps on my shoulders every time, all in all it's enough that whoever he is, he's scaring the daylights out of the seven of us right now." he said and his eyes narrowed at that as MacDougal answered him at that as she got it. "Radue, you been trying to stay hidden so he never finds you and this man is scaring you out of your mind. Why?" She asked him softly as he leaned against the desk podium.

"The nightmares came back and got worse, it's like he's my personal version of that mental lunatic. Or that counselor, just hearing the word sedative causes those kids to panic, that's what I feel every time I think about that planet now. They did enough damage to us, it's going to take years to get over it right now. Add that to what's going on now and and finally to top it all off is this, now, and here's why I signed myself up."

"So I could go on leave right now, because this was something I never told anyone. But combined with that, with those nightmares, are I've been having repeated dreams about you guys. About the amount of close calls you've had since I left and it's like I'm right there on the bridge watching the entire thing. It's as clear as I see you now, and those dreams just keep getting worse right now, but that sums it up in this."

"It's also the reason why I look like this right now, so two guesses, but you're only going to need one with that, Dr. Pulaski." he said and she nodded as her eyes narrowed in concern at the news. "Sleep deprivation and caffeine overuse and you're looking like you've been in detox the last two months if you just gave me those pills. Alright I'm telling Eli, and we're readjusting your regime, once your mother hears this."

"Though your mother is going to kill the nurse and your R.A. for not seeing this when we can if you look like this right now." she said and he nodded as he answered her at that. "I don't suppose you read about the captain's encounter with the thoughtmaker?" he asked and she nodded. "It's not quite the thoughtmaker, more like I'm the entity seeing everything that's happening to my mother and the rest of the crew, the sextet."

"Bates, Greyson, Porter and their teams, as well as you guys and through the eyes of a host. Whatever's causing this has completely dismantled my sleep patterns, and though I get one recharge, I'm seriously in need of the other, but thanks to the squadron. That is Nick Locarno, Sito Jaxa, and Jean Hajar. Josh Alberts is a career Starfleet born officer his father serves aboard the Hood, but the trio are just it making it worse."

"It's always about the damn squadron, and to be honest, I'm not even sure I want to be part of the team anymore, not when my added skills save even more lives. As you got a demonstration in our first few weeks together, but here's the part that I never told them whatsoever now, but it's they can't understand what I feel regarding these dreams. Not in the way you can, being career officers and everything we've gone through together."

"It's like the kids in the third film, they can't tell anyone, but a fellow victim and they get the chance when the sole survivor of the original attack arrives. That's how I feel, of over 900 cadets and personnel there, no one could ever understand this, my dreams. The stress of not being to tell anyone this truth, because they haven't gone through. What I have these last four years, in fact I was waiting for my leave to happen now actually."

"Because I knew if anyone could understand this, it's you guys." he said, looking between her to the engineering team and she crossed her arms. "And as fate haves it, Kyle and I get sent out to join you at the exact same time this is going on. Brand and Quinn chose the perfect timing to bring me back into your life and with me, Kyle. That's no damn coincidence now, Brand knows about this and decided to help you."

"By bringing me back into your life and the committee chose now to prevent this conspiracy from infecting the entire federation and you're looking like the kids in that movie when they arrive at the hospital. Oh I'm not letting this go now, whoever is framing Eli for your medical records and if they're connected to this security officer and the conspiracy. They're ending up in prison when we get through with them."

"Does anyone else know about this, because if you were waiting till you came home to tell them, she obviously delayed that on purpose by infecting the duo the day you come home, Wes." she said gently and he shook his head. "Nobody at the academy knows about this and I've been waiting till break so I could tell you now. But I'm glad you came back, because until mom, let alone the quintet are clean, I can't at the moment."

"Robin we've just met, only they can understand this, because ever since I joined the crew as a junior crew member, I could tell them everything. But this is just like the Captain and his issue with the thoughtmaker and the Battle Of Maxia. Although I'm guessing that diamond or ruby just dragged up his guilt regarding dad, Chief?" he asked and the sextet and Data all nodded to answer his question at that.

"Damn it, he's still holding in guilt regarding dad and what happened to him, alright I've got to talk to him about this. But the reason for this in his case is I've taken dad's place, he had me for one year, mom and me the year, before I left and then I leave and he's lost total concentration. The quintet and you are the same way, the youngest member of the crew, considering the amount of time we spent together here too."

"And our bond was strong and she's taken advantage of that, the captain wasn't ready to just me leave at the time that and frankly neither were the quintet or you. And for a single reason here and it's because, with my being added to the crew, as a junior member. It's the act of your star pupil/oldest child leaving for college now and here's the result." he said to them and they nodded to him in agreement as he said it firmly.

"And now she or whoever's causing those dreams about us are doing the exact same thing to you now?!" Jenson said sharply and he nodded. "Yeah exactly, I haven't gotten a true night sleep in six months because it's a combined situation, my squadron and these nightmares. I was going to tell you this when I came home, before she derailed that, Doctor, Sarah." he said and they nodded as O'Brien pulled him into a hug at that.

And he closed his eyes as he felt his arms around him. "Don't worry son it's going to be okay, because once we deal with this, we're making sure you get the year to eighteen months sabbatical you need to recover from this." Jenson said with a firm tone as he said it. "If this leads to another problem and nearly another injury and Beverly is going to kill whoever caused it, because though a teenager and young adult at the moment."

"It's pretty damn clear to us that you're homesick right now and at the moment if this leads into what you told us. And it's taking me, the quartet and the sextet to find you, before whoever causes that programming to go off a second time. And if you get it next to walk you right out the front door, because that's not an option when the ship's in warp." O'Brien said and he nodded in agreement as Robin switched subjects then.

"Alright again you can tell us later, but you better fill us in now, but I have a question here, Wes. How is that you know what was bugging them, it's like the commander is acting out of personality, when I look into his eyes. I see the pained look in them, it's like they lost half of themselves now?" Robin asked and he sighed then. "It's because to them they watched me grow up at the time and that one piece of it."

"But to the quartet, it's even worse right now, because that one year changed things so much that it's hitting him, Counselor Troi, the Captain and Commander La Forge so hard. That's why the programming hit them like this, and they're not the only ones right now, I saw the look of emotional pain in Porter's eyes. And it's because I was watching him and Davidson through the grate leading into my apartment, I was in my mother's room."

"With the senior staff crew quarters, if they have a family, there's two rooms. But my personality was the one they preferred. During training and Derek broke a cardinal rule when doing a manhunt , and that's leave the channel clear. When the officers leading the search are trying to hear the reports given to them by the security officers." he said and she nodded as Jenson gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze in response at that.

"Geordi had it right, right now though, I was listening to your conversations over my tricorder, because I turned it into a miniature radio, of the type they use in the military back in the 20th century. But Charlie and Geordi were right, Derek was making their job harder than it could be because he wasn't keeping the channel clear. And then tried to catch me, my mother, and the quintet, in their eyes, would see this in only one way."

"And it's beyond dangerous, reckless and irresponsible right now for what he just pulled. I mean what if it wasn't me or Data he encountered in the hallway, but Roga or some other hostile that boarded us." he added to her and they nodded in agreement to his thoughts as the entire group got it as Barnfield said for all of them. "You're right that's beyond reckless and irresponsible, alright and why would you try to attack us head on, you're not that reckless." Barnfield said and he nodded in agreement to that.

"Did she honestly think you'd try and attack us head on, either by attacking Jack, Derek and Eric with the phaser. Or just try and take control and come in here when we're compromised, I mean seriously. That's beyond idiotic and reckless, and it's because we'd arrest you before you could do anything right now as it is here." Goldburg said in disgust and he nodded in agreement to that as he answered him with a bemused smile.

"Yeah I know that's what I said when I realized it, I'm not killing in cold blood here, and trying to take the ship back by force by barging in here or onto the bridge. Or just transport over to her ship is going to get me shot and arrested before I can do anything. So I decided on a psyche out by simulating the overload on the phaser down the hall and then a secondary psyche out by writing out a message to her to make her think I would."

"But everything she didn't understand was another weapon against her, I mean I leave ten indicators to the guys and then five more this morning. But think about it, in what book, created by Verne, did the main character do this by leading his friends right to him. And his ploy got adopted by another character, in a certain video game novel, and it was leading false trails to his enemies now." he said and the man started laughing.

"Journey to the Center of the Earth, nice choice son, that was perfect right now, but Journey to the center of the earth. Roga, and then everything as a indicator of our entire 3.5 years together, nobody outside of the crew could match that. But you get a really good show out of watching you three working as one this morning and last night. And everything I've seen so far certainly demonstrates just how good you kids really are."

"Everything you did so far is paying off right now and it's working at the moment kiddo. Though in your case you just proved something and it's if you want to keep your oppenent from finding you, its best to keep quiet here. And without the beacon in the communicator, you can't be found right now anyway. Though the alarms give that away slightly at the moment." O'Brien said to him smiling and he nodded to him gently.

"Although the repeated alarms going off at 1030 hours this morning was enough of a wake up call, but four to five times in the last five hours that's going a little too far right now, son." Jenson said as he started laughing at that. "Yeah I know that, but best to drive her crazy by screwing around with the systems. I knew you were going to figure it out the second you were back to normal what I was really doing and how."

"And it's because you're the ones who watched me during training, four years as a team and you know me better than she does." he said and they nodded smiling at him as Barnfield said for all of them then as she explained that to her then. "He's right Robin, it's been hardest on us and the sextet ever since he left, but seeing a kid like Derek pulling stunts like this is enough to annoy us right now at the moment."

"But you and Charlie, that's what we preferred right now, your personalities are what we prefer and though Charlie can't take his place, he created his own." Barnfield said and she nodded gently. "Issues of insecurities around here, just having a situation like this brings back the fact it takes thinking it through. Before jumping the net at the moment, and you're more suited for games in theory than wargames at the current moment."

"And this games in theory of an alien incursion running loose on the ship right now is getting out of hand right now as a result son. You keep this up and it's going to get more reckless than we would have liked at the moment here." Shimoda added and Wesley nodded in agreement to that remark. "Too late, it just went past irresponsible and right to reckless endangerment, because my oppenent is forcing this right now."

"Into winding up in the Jeffries tubes and extension shaft right now." he said and O'Brien looked at him at that. "You mean you moved out of range of that tube the second they thought they tracked you there?" Barnfield asked and he nodded. "Only problem is that to get her to land herself behind bars it's by actually winding up in that section now. But that's your remark right there, it's about to get as reckless as you can get right now."

"Although considering she's having me run on fumes right now this is as reckless as it gets right now. Last night I drained a good amount of the caffeine from my system and the ending results are, after I took that sleeping pill. I was out like a light in five minutes, but this keeps up and the next adrenaline dose is going to drain out by the time she finally does catch me, but before I take it at the moment as well here."

"I need to eat three more times so I have enough energy to do this, but by the end of it, I'm going to be on light duty for a month to two here after this. That is if she and whoever's working for her, doesn't make it worse, but three months on light duty and 9 to 15 more in recovery in your eyes, doctor. Because whoever's screwing with my sleep cycles and regime has just landed me in need of a serious case of rehab here."

"From too much caffeine and sugar and you're hearing the extent of that medical diagnostic from my tricorder later. Though with the fact that you did already with Dr. Anenzi, mom's going to kill the person that caused it. And with Dr. Anenzi, and you're all laying into the nurse for not seeing my physical symptoms and yet you did, guys, doctor." he said and she covered her eyes as she answered him at that in exasperation.

"You're right, that is as reckless as it gets right now and you keep this up, I'm not going to make it to my next birthday at this rate, so take it down a notch would you please, you two." Pulaski said in exasperation and the young couple both nodded to the orders. "We just hit phase three and I'm taking them in the run around for a bit while you get the cure into the computer and free the rest of the adult crew and their spouses."

"But you're going to be hearing a lot of noise coming out of the ship bowels in a few minutes, but the seek is about to get a bit too loud next." he said and they nodded as the veteran duo nodded in bemusement as they exchanged as looks at that remark. "Nice wording, you're not acting like our previous computer problems by playing around with the environmental controls or the life support systems at the moment."

"But having these acts of toying around with the holodecks and causing the alarms to keep going off, that's more than enough. But getting into the bowels of the ship, that's taking the hide a little too far here, Wes. And that's not if it results in further trouble, but if she gets anymore desperate. Than it's going to land you in the E.R. next if it causes you to break or tear something next." MacDougal said and he sighed at that remark.


	17. 17: Reversing Attacks And Truths

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs tome and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Chapter 17: Final Discussions, Planning And Redirects**

"It's a bit too late for that at the moment, I was playing the bait when we pulled this operation to give him enough lead time to figure out what the heck was going on around here. But we dodged her twice and the basic rule of thumb for that." Robin said and Pulaski finished that remark. "Once is lucky, twice is pushing your luck and three get ready to run, because it's about to turn into a chase down next here."

"You kids are out of your minds right now, you just figure this out, he's possibly coming down with something and you choose now to pull this stunt right now. That's not only reckless, but completely irresponsible right now, you two. Wesley we've gone over the repeatedly after you came down with the flu, if you weren't up to something like this you had to tell us that." she said to him and he looked at her as he answered her.

"What did you expect us to do, wait till the expansion was under way, if we waited too long it was going to be too late, it's not just a matter of the ship being infected right now. The safety and security of the entire federation is at stake right now, aside from that I was going to tell them when I got back, but by then it was too late. And it's because they were infected or about to become infected and with that in mind now."

"I was going to tell them this and everything else that's in that medical report." he said and she sighed as the sextet looked at him. "Yeah and the senior staff crew are not going to take this any better than we will at the moment. Waiting until the last minute to tell us. You're mom's going to say this in the same way, but why didn't you tell us when you got back exactly?" Jenson asked and he sighed as he answered him, as he looked at him.

"Because the commander and Deanna were already compromised and the rest of the senior staff was going to be next. What with the fact my mother got infected and Data was deactivated by that point. We had no choice, but to push forward and I'm the key to getting it on earth now. But that's possibly what these pills are for right now, to weaken me and turn me into a weapon, though if that's the next idea she has here."

"MacGregor is working here and this starts a second time, and you're looking at our discussion last year guys. Because she's, if I get that thing on me, going to be having me thinking it activated, again." he said, looking between the four of them and O'Brien stopped him at that remark as he quickly said it then. "She tries that and we're killing her for it, because once is enough in this case and if you have a relapse, that's it here."

"What the hell's going on here if she pulled this card just to get her hands on you?" O'Brien asked and he sighed as he explained that to him. "Whoever she's got working at the academy is doing illegal medical order prescriptions. Which was what Dr. Pulaski told you a bit ago, but my name and Dr. Anenzi are the latest ones on the list. Though like I said if this was part of her plan, you're going to have to hear those medical reports."

"As to why at the moment here, it's because my medical report just revealed a few things you're not going to like when you hear them later at the moment, Dr. Pulaski with you being the mind control expert here. Whatever in those caffeine pills is acting like the added side effects of going into withdrawal from drugs. But if this was part of her plan later on, if she doesn't win this round and it's going to get worse."

"And it's if this game and conspiracy is not over with right now Chief, but I've had several jolts from whatever's in this stuff. And it's hitting me in the same way detoxing from the ethanol does, but I was going to tell you this when I got back so mom could pull the medical card and with it the parental one. Like you theorized last night, I had to take a few hours break in Data's quarters to rest, before I started a second time."

"But before I could tell you any of this and everything else that was causing me to look like this even before when I came home, as you all are the ones who lived these issues with me, including Jaan. But 'she' derailed that plan with having this incursion break out on our ship, but you better take this." he said, passing the tricorder to him and he nodded as Wesley went further as Robin looked at him at that remark.

"What is that for exactly?" Robin asked and he explained that to her. "I downloaded my medical diagnostics into it after I reported to the captain. That was a test and she gave herself away by having him immediately put it on after I left. That's one fatal mistake right now, the second one. That's she's having you guys go by your titles with each other, when as yourselves." he said and O'Brien nodded as he answered him at that.

"We call each other by name, yeah we've been doing that ever since Aldea and the bonds have only deepened since then. But that's two fatal mistakes, number three underestimating you and number four is she never dug deep enough to realize everything blocked out was another piece she doesn't understand here at the moment and you're better than she thinks you are, because she only got the last seven months."

"And seven said months are your training, she didn't see deep enough to realize that by the time you left you're better than she thought in this and that's just become a nail in her coffin here. And you certainly proved you're more than capable of pulling the types of repairs we've seen you do. She's certainly underestimated you now, but how much farther is this going to go, which phase in this plan of yours is this right now?" he asked and she answered that question as they looked at each other.

"We're on phase three Chief, getting it turned into a brief run around and while we get the cure into the computer." Robin said and he finished her remark. "While I'm continuing to play decoy, but first we have to finish this now, phase 3, is the one we're still on right now as he just released you Eric, Sickbay and Guinan. As well as whoever else is there, but the last and final step is for her to incriminate herself as to that now."

"Sarah, once done in here you're going to have to fake it and head up the bridge, you too guys, because this scenario just turned into a sting operation. But this, the diagnostics, explains why Data ransacked the lab medical cupboard, so he could create the first of two of these cocktails and I created twenty more. I just have to take the next dose, before something goes wrong in this, but at the moment I just ate breakfast."

"A bit ago, before the heat sensors on the map found me, but these cocktails don't last longer for more than 20 to 30 minutes in between doses and I have to eat before taking them. Otherwise the side effects are a case of nausea, and I was on the edge of hypoglycemia earlier. When the alarm went off in my apartment last night, but the basic rules for these things..." he said and Pulaski finished that remark as she got it then.

"Before taking pills if they need to taken with food, or you're suffering from hypoglycemia. Than eat something loaded with sugar, and get some water into you if you're dehydrated and then take it. And before taking the ones that need to be taken and on a full stomach. Did you get some rest after you took that dose, because you're exhausted right now?" she asked and he quickly answered her at that as he said it.

"Yeah I did Doctor, I was taking the night off, after I finished with the first portion of it, in Data's quarters, six hours of rest and a real meal. But that latest dose is about to be taken after I get a quick recharge in for now, but I'm insuring she gets herself thrown in jail by leading her into a trap now. But you'll know when phase four starts and as to how and why exactly here, let's just say the training shifted directions."

"And its because you're going to hear it echoing out of the Jeffries tubes connected to engineering down here." he said and she sighed as she got what he meant as Barnfield said it. "What's he talking about?" Robin asked and MacDougal answered that as she said it sternly. 'Oh no, you're not serious right now, Wes don't even think about it right now, they had you doing these jumps from two stories up, but that high, that's going to far."

'You land on it the wrong way you're going to sprain or break your ankle in the landing.' she thought as she answered her as she looked at him. "The Jeffries tubes amplify the amount of noise that goes on in the shafts in there, but with a metal floor, it's the landing is going to result in a loud clang in there. Of the type that can be heard echoing through the catwalks in the bowels of the ship at the moment a and up to the bridge."

"And the amount of noise from the clang and landing is enough to to be heard down here or all the way on the bridge, if he tries what I'm thinking right now and with that. Wes, don't even think about it, you wound up with repeated injuries in training and that's going way too far. And just to weaken the programming on the sextet, let alone us and the quartet right now." she said and Barnfield quickly said it to him as she got it.

"Wes you scared the heck out of us once too often when doing this on the holodeck, don't try that or you're going to break or dislocate your ankle next trying that." she said and he said it with a sigh. "The conditioning is hitting them the hardest, like it did you, before he broke her hold on you. With you it's the loss of two things and you weren't ready to let me go last year at the time, but for the quintet it's even worse."

"I'm an only child, so 'first born child leaving the nest' here in my mother's case, with you guys. I practically became your adopted son after mom left for that year and after three years together here's the result. The sextet have lost their focus, because everything that we used to to together is making it harder to concentrate. Especially the commander, I have to get to the commander most of all now, he's my mentor."

"Deanna, my godmother and they're both suffering the same thing mom is, as is the captain and with that our bonds and what we are to each other. To break the conditioning it was the decoy tactics first and now this is the second one. At the moment though she thinks I'm in deck 7, section 23, before I switched floors right now, but they're heading for level ten right now and taking the long to get there at the moment now."

"But take a guess of where that area leads to, in the next three floors up right now and 11 sections over here as I'm leading her into a case of misdirection right now. Because you used those tubes to try and get up to the bridge last year, when he, Worf and Casey climbed that tube, but think it over we had to do this before." he said and O'brien answered that firmly as he looked at him then as he said it to him then

"Only difference is you were in better shape at the time and we didn't have you draining you reserves repeatedly just to catch the perp at the time. Bhis is going way too far right now at the moment, you're in no condition for this right now." he said and he sighed. "If I don't and she's still got the sextet under her control along with 3/4's of the ship, I'm keeping them busy so you can get it into the system to free the others.

"After the homing beacon took control of the entire ship at the time, but she's hijacked every adult officer on board th ship from 18 to fully grown adult. But dad was ordered to take it to the endeavor, Deanna and Geordi to starbase 67 and they're planning on getttin it into the academy. If I dely them long enough right now we can prevent that, but section 23 and it leads into..." he said and she nodded firmly as she got it.

"That's the extension shaft and..., deck seven, are you out of your mind, doing it from higher than five to six levels up it's going to break something." Shimoda said in shock and he sighed. "It's the only way to break the conditioning on the duo right now, as to why. Well he and Worf are the two I have to break her hold on now. And it's by getting a bit more reckless than they, and you, would have liked right now at the moment."

"But the problem is that computer game, it's acting like the parasite in that Heinlein novel and our past conspiracy like a month after Tasha was killed. But Remmick, Quinn, the virus and now outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever scenario we discussed last year and with those words in mind regarding the virus. That we all got hit by four years ago and is the reason for the reason the knack hit me so hard and with that."

"We went over this already last year when that homing beacon hijacked us at the time, but with everything we encountered these last four and half years now. If we don't destroy the hold she has on the sextet, it's going to be a repeater of the virus we had running loose on this ship. I got the details after she tried to catch us the second time, but she's sending Deanna and Geordi to Starbase 67 with it."

"And the commander to the Cleon system to pass it to the Endeavor, and straight to the academy on earth. Now just imagine the events if that virus began jumping from our ship and straight off it and getting to the other seven towns in range of us and the college." he said and they looked at him in shock. "Oh god, that's going to over run the entire federation." MacDougal said in shock and he nodded as he answered her.

"Sarah we went over this last year, the captain gave me specific orders in case this happened and the programmer was using us to get a foothold into the federation, and it's by mind control. Well said scenario landed on the table, I'm following his orders, with the captain and first officer out of the equation. And incapacitated, as well as my mother and Geordi, who does that leave to take charge right now."

"But the colonel and general are compromised as is the doctor and second in command, not to mention the base psychiatrist. The only option left is for the next in command and the non commissioned officers to take charge?" he asked and she nodded sighing. "Ranks of 365 years ago, your mother was the head of the medical department, the captain is the general, the commander the colonel and Deanna, but that leaves us."

"That's me, Kate, and Data, medical quarantine over-ride, and taking back control of this ship." O'Brien said and he nodded. "Yeah and I've maybe 15 minutes before they get to where they think I am. But that force field I put up with you guys impaired is to prevent her from screwing around with the environmental controls. And every vital system needed and four years older and four years wiser in training strategies now as well."

"But I'm just saying this in the words of the level four disease control of the 20th century and it's the exact same thing here, but hemorrhagic fever mutated into a bug that spreads like the flu here. Doctor you studied every disease in the books on earth, but this one is thanks to acting like the most deadly viruses known to mankind. And them spreading like the damn flu, we've had two bugs gone aerosol form during that year."

"But the effects of the game, before the mind control kicked in, are just like that first virus you read up on when you arrived. That acted like alcohol on the mind, before it changed to recreational drugs, and the Tsiolkovsky's crew were killed, because A: they were playing with the environmental controls. As if that's not enough it's like a level IV plague, and once one person had it, then ten others had it and with the infected."

"And B: because they blew out the escape hatch on the ship and not only does that cause a hull breach it vents the heat into space. And every security measure needed to prevent that, again is in here in that systems control room, so why else would I put up that forcefield that day. And C: to prevent it from infecting anyone else, I'm talking a serious outbreak like the Ebola strand 390 years ago, the movie now."

"But this is a doctor's worst living nightmare right now and when you're just getting started as a new crew, and though you're teen computer whis was keeping everyone infected out of the control room. Think about it, you come into contact with patient zero, after getting back on board your lead technician gets infected, and then with him your original security chief as the rest of the crew starts getting infected here as a result."

"And from there it starts going from person to person until your entire crew is infected with a virus like this. And your 2IC has to do do your jobs for you while your android team mate is also sick as well. And to top it off is, it's not just because of a collapsing star right now, you're in the path of an oncoming meteor. And your son decides to be the one to take the initiative regarding this, just to prevent the hotzone from spreading."

"I'm just saying this in the words of that Doctor that dealt with the Ebola virus, during that scenario, but you have 80 people dead and several others infected and it's spreading like a brushfire throughout the ship. We should have had everyone isolate themselves in their quarters till mom got the information needed. But too late and I get infected, but I'm still thinking rationally to prevent someone from killing themselves or us."

"But to prevent us coming into contact with any other ships or starbases until the cure was created, it's by a medical induced over ride and taking your first steps as a member of the junior crew. But if one of them has it, then ten of them have it..." he said and Pulaski covered her eyes as she finished his sentence then. "And if someone gets off the ship, before we deactivate it and we're screwed here, we have to keep it quarantined."

"That's why you're working over time, to prevent that thing from getting off the ship, before we can deactivate the programming?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah that's it exactly, medical conspiracy and a full scale incursion into the federation. And Mom got infected, again, and she, or rather Etana, called out medical security alert, condition 3 just to arrest me, but this is an alibi to get that piece of junk on me now."

"But trust me it's not happening twice or going to work now hopefully, and that's not if she doesn't try anything else after we end this now. As I said when infected I cold still come up with 3 or 4 good ideas in an hour. Fully focused and you better get out of my way, because I'm going to throw the entire arsenal at you, but I was thinking clearly enough to send several reminders to you about that last night as a result."

"But I know you better then you know yourselves, and Brand decided to set this up as her secret weapon to have us together." he said and Robin looked at him in shock. "That's what happened, the damn virus you told me about went aerosol form and started spreading like the flu. But if that's the case, how could you survive this when everyone was infected with it?" she asked and he turned and looked at the forcefield.

"I'm acting on the only option necessary to prevent a repeat of those same conditions with everyone else not on board the ship. But Data just hit you, sickbay and Guinan with the cure Sarah. Our only option necessary till we catch her in the act, and this her plan at a biological weapon, it's by setting myself up for capture. And by Data catching her in the act, but it's as close to the movie that focused on that virus as possible."

"The Puppet Masters, Outbreak, that's this scenario right now completely and with my being the only one who figured it out first. I've got to prevent her version of Anthrax from getting off this ship. And by the only option necessary, by acting like our previous computer viruses and pest problems. But this one is taking a leaf out of the book of what I did that year a few weeks in." he said and the team nodded as they got it then.

And MacDougal nodded as she remembered his explanation to her the year before. "The virus acted on the brain like alcohol, causing the entire ship's crew to start acting like they were drugged or intoxicated at the time. To prevent anyone from accidentally killing themselves he decided on a medical/command induced over ride, got me out of the room. And took control of the control room terminals and set up that forcefield now."

"While Jim yanked the computer chips to prevent us from getting anywhere near anyone that could accidentally become infected with that virus. And with that now, is we, the commander and me, but not realizing what he was trying to do here at the time, he took the initiative that day. But he never told us until it was over, and we were trying to get in there to get the control chips back in place that day now."

"And get us out of the way of the meteor, and before it hit us at the time, yes I remember that conversation. You did it again last night while we were looking for you and you've been hiding to make this last longer then necessary now. But..., by orders of Captain Picard, Commander Riker and Dr. Crusher, you're inducing a medical induced over ride of the computer, just to prevent it from getting off the ship now at the moment."

"Shutting down the Turbolifts, all shuttlebays, aside from the one Kate used to get in here and the transporters." She said and he nodded to him and she nodded as she got it then. data do it again, we have to make sure that until we end this and the entire senior staff crew is cleared of that virus now." she said and Wesley nodded as he looked at him then as he said it to him gently at that remark.

"She's right, you have us and the rest of the emergency shelters are under your command now, so we have to finish this now, as they don't know you're back online. But Etana read their internal anger at the fact Soong put a child at risk by using you to do it, and with Billy was me. And decided to exact revenge on you, annd Soong by deactivating you at the time." he said and Robin looked at him in shock at the news."

"That's what happened, they were furious that Dr. Soong put a child at risk, and pushed you into over doing it, that they decided. Or she decided, if Soong wasn't here, then he was the one getting deactivated so she could take control of the ship and it would have worked. Had it not been for the fact that her opponents are a trio of teenage scientists and we had this planned out in advance?" she said and he nodded to her gently.

"Yeah, that's it exactly, but with being turned into drones they're going to be feeling guilty like Data was last year about this. But I've had to work over time three times in 18 months and third times the charm now, but if it's not this one that lays me out, it's going to be her third try to get it off the ship." he said and O'brien sighed. "You're right, I'm beyond furious at the fact she forced you into over doing it again now."

"And did it by using us to do it right now, but hopefully this is the last and final time, but that last jolt once drained and I'm saying this for all of them. But after this is over and you're on light duty indefinitely right now with you this drained. I know what caffeine does to you. But repeated draining the doses and the epinephrine with it, you're body can't take this type of abuse repeatedly." he said and she looked at him.

"But the commander didn't realize this till I explained it to you last year, but in his case the reason he changed is because of me and my leaving. To him, the act of letting me go is, if we'd seen that other space epic, I'm his prize pupil for several years and I'm on the edge of graduation. And he's having a hard time letting me go now, which is why he's been running on autopilot ever since I left at the time last year."

"And it's the same for the quintet, the only option is by getting their parental instincts to go on a rampage and that maneuever is it. It's this and with that it's the act of their paternal/mentor sides breaking down the front door when they realized what I just did and tried in there. And at the moment, it's once this actvates now, but it's getting stronger every minute this continues." he said and she sighed as Pulaski said it for her.

"That's my one option now, get him to break through it now, by pushing up your parental instincts to the max, I just simulated that injury to cause your parental instincts. But I was due for my booster anyway and if I hadn't stopped and grabbed it, I would have landed directly on top of it. But after the knack, you know what happens if the selelvians are sick and they can't control it, Doctor." he said and Pulaski nodded as she said it.

"But deprogramming 101: What's the best way to break the conditioning if the added indications of everything we did together doesn't work. It's going to pulling something the duo had never would allowed when I was in training when I was still home. And by three times the height I normally did the jumps." he said and she sighed as she said it to him, her tone going stern as she did as she looked at that remark.

"You're about to cause their parental instincts to go on a rampage here and with that in mind right now, as Eli and Eric told you, you don't get the landing right and you're either going to sprain. Or dislocate it in the landing, and walking on in it only makes it worse right now, but the last time I saw you looking like this. It was during the effects of the knack and Brand told me it's still effecting you right now and with that."

"Once you do that, you better take that multi-medical cocktail or you're in big trouble young man and I mean that. Because once the shock from the landing gives out, if you rolled your ankle and the ending results of the shock giving out is that the pain is enough to incapacitate you during this. And that's something none of us need, how much did you drain last night, before you went to your quarters." she asked and he sighed.

"A third of it right now, but I've been taking it slow all morning, but the shift is about to start, and it's not the caffeine dose I'm worried about. But the epinephrine, it's only going to las so long, before I need the next dose." he said and she nodded as she said it. "Well after you do this particular daredevil stunt, I want you to take another dose and at the moment, with being your doctor that year and I was around for your training."

"It's at the moment in your case over doing it right now, and as to why, it's because one too many close calls and this is taking the act just a little too far right now. And after that if this results in a relapse and you're on stand down when I give your mother that information. But this situation of taking and dealing with it alone is going way too far right now, Wes." Pulaski said to him sharply then and he hid a sigh as he answered her.

"At the moment I'm going to pull one last attempted escape, recharge and that's it, but I have to make her think she's got a win now, before Data catches her in the act. But she's getting implicated for child abuse, as we're still kids in your eyes, and putting our younger charges at risk, remember the sextet. The kids are as scared of Macgregor as I am, and for all we know he's here to kindap me and the sextet and with it."

"Conspiracy and sedition, child abuse, near attempted murder and finally attempted foothold here and you arrive in time to bring back new information. You guys just get the cure into the computer, I'll dsitract them long enought for you to get it into the system right now. But the longer that this goes on the faster she's going to land me back in your care Doctor." he said and she nodded as she got it then with a sigh then.

"No Wes forget about it, at the rate this is going you're going to break your ankle next if you keep this up." Robin said quickly and he sighed. "Robin you don't know the crew or my mother in the way I do, and if it means making sure that thing never gets off the ship. I'm finishing this mission, thought I doubt it's the only try they're going to go for, because we hit the halfway point." he said and she sighed as Jenson said it to him.

"You have got to be kidding, to implicate her you're allowing her to drain you this much, well just pull it over already, you keep this up you're going to drain yourself completely right now. At whatever level you're at, this is going to cause your system to crash a second time if this keeps up right now Wes. The last time we saw you like this was after Soong hijacked the ship last year." Jenson said in shock at that remark as he sighed.

"That's the idea, she's getting implicated for nearly landing me in the E.R.. Because she's the reason I'm trying to stay out of range and keep from getting caught at the moment. And draining my energy levels while doing it right now, Doctor, that information and the pills I just gave you. But you, mom and Dr. Anenzi are going to have to call medical intervention here, I'm intending to make sure I don't leave too soon."

"Because whatever's in those pills is the reason for the medical alert she called out, I'm fully focused at the moment and with it. Derek's been arrested once too often right now, and to repeat Eric's remark, they've had all they can take and the captain it's his body can't take this abuse in the withdrawal and rebound repeatedly. But I'm a medical prodigy and I know what needs to done to end that jolt easily right now."

"And if this was the Novas plan now, it's I'm making sure that we circumvent it right now at the moment, because if I leave and I'm putting the entire federation at risk now. It's just making sure that this, if I have to guess was her plan doesn't screw up my recovery, now that all three of you are here. The Novas, as adults, are NID, us Gammas are SGC, but an SGC officer does the job going an extra five miles to do a job."

"And if it means I'm home for 18 months I've got a job to do right now, and this is what Brad's grandfather did when he was our age." he said and she sighed as the group sighed, knowing nothing was going to change his mind as he went further then. "But our job shifted from an alien incursion and right now to conspiracy and sedition and it's not one planet or another, but three at once, and it's preventing it from getting off the ship."

"As to why it's because whoever our culprit at the academy clinic is, he's just crossed the line, said line is he's framing others here. Because we have K'tarian at the academy infirmary, we had to chase down Maxwell and finally comes the fact that we have a possible Aldean on board the ship. But if this was an alliance then we have to prevent their plans from leaving the Enterprise now, Chief your grandfather knew Tommy's."

"I ran into Tommy when I was at the academy and he said the same thing, but Doug, Amy, Tony and Janie, they all said the same thing. If this was a foothold we have to prevent it from getting off the ship, and Tommy said that brad's grandfather risked a lethal dose of radiation to save Sarah's grandmother. I'm not doing that, but I'm making sure that her plans never get off the ship." he said and O'Brien crossed his arms.

"You got the name of the guy who prescribed you those pills, because if we find a duplicate of those same pills on board the ship. And on whoever the secondary host is, they're both winding up behind bars when we get through with them, for nearly killing you if this starts a second time. But your body can't take this type of abuse and the last time I saw you looking like this was after Soong hijacked the ship last years."

"If these spasms trigger a seizure of the type the captain dealt with and this bastard is the one doing it?" he asked and Wesley nodded. "Yeah I do, his name is Ensign Davi Loffler, that's our mole in the academy clinic, but if these are part of her plan. I'm safer, once this is finished around you guys now. As to why I'm saying that, it's because I doubt this situation is over right now at the moment." he said and sighed as he finished.

"Before you say it, Data gave me the riot act already regarding this and the fact I didn't tell you till the last minute. I know I'm in trouble right now with you guys, but you can let me have it later, okay." he said and they nodded in exasperation at that as he went further. 'God kid, you keep this up and I'm not going to make it to my next birthday, though if you're home for the next year, that helps.' The ten all thought together.

"We've had several old memories breaking down the front door regarding this situation and I'm using that against her by taking back control. It's my computer program that caused the lights to go out, you remember the sentient programming I created. The captain's orders regarding if you guys all got infected and I was the last one standing at the time?" he asked and they nodded as they smiled at that as they got it.

"Yes, we do, the captain said if we got compromised and it's a matter of mind control, you had permission to pull this a second time and..., whoa. Alright that's what you did last night, the sentient programming puts the ship back in our hands. And you had to wait til Data hit all of us next, to pass the control back to us members of the engineering team now, your team." Shimoda said and he nodded to him gently and he smiled at that.

"Yeah that's it exactly, as the the engineering crew, it's up to us to end this together now. But I was following on my orders given to me by the captain himself. One year and four months to the day, our conversation on the bridge when we discussed this." Wesley said and MacDougal and Shimoda nodded as she answered him as she remembered that conversation, as she sighed as she answered him then as they exchanged looks.

"Yes, you mean you decided to pull it just to get this to work now." she said and he nodded. "Lovely last year's conversation regarding the computer mainframe just hit the table, and the captain gave you permission to do it. Well with that in mind, it's using everything we did regarding screwing around with the systems, Lal, when we tell you, activate the system because you're tapping into the tractor beam."

And catching her ship, but listen to me, I'm going to try and get her to think Data got everyone freed, so she can double check right now. While they're trying to chase me down. So no more guards, aside from Macgregor, if he's not working for her at the moment. But we have everyone, but a select few." that are not next to the monitors and computers cleared now." he said and she nodded to his idea as she said it to him.

"Once we do that, we lock onto her ship with the tractor beam and that's it, we won this round and we turn it to the adults after that. Because there's got to be a select few that still have the secondary programming and it's fifty clean officers to every one compromised officer after that." Robin said to her gently and she nodded to her and the light beeped once and she hid a smile as she went further before Macdougal said it to her.

"Last time the virus we had running amok caused you to take control of the ship here in engineering and that was thanks to your being intoxicated at the time. But it took close to fifteen hours to get in here, before we realized we were in the path of an oncoming meteor at the time. But that's what he was referring to right now, Robin, but to explain this gently it was the first few weeks before we had a traveler arrive at the time."

"And Wes programmed his tractor beam into the system, but not realizing he was preventing the infected from getting into the control room then. He was doing our job for us at the time, alright so to clear this up now honey. but you immediately got to work on this. And while we, the commander and I. But we broke down the shield and you came up with two more ideas in that situation, though exhausted you still did it."

"But that time was thanks to being intoxicated and we were all more than irrational, thanks to the fact we were all intoxicated. And this time it's being completely in control and in your case you're now fully focused at the moment. But back then it was a matter of life and death in the case of the ship, this time it's a matter of survival regarding the federation, just like when you were 15?" MacDougal asked him quickly in shock.

"Yeah that's it exactly, I pulled the same stunt just to get the ship out of her hands. And back in yours, now that Data just broke the conditioning on you guys. Though I'm acting like our little parasites that hijacked it at the time over the previous four years, the Nanites, the Iconian computer programming. But the virus and of course the beacon, but I added all the clues together and took over." he said and she smiled at his idea.

"Nice touch kid, she doesn't realize any of this, but then you've been gone, and in that time you sometimes for these things and as to why exactly right now. Because we buried the memories of the first four years to protect you and everything you're using against her is something she doesn't understand right now. Though that just made it clear right now, she's screwed up in her plans now." Jenson said with a chuckle to that.

"Yeah, but listen to me, to prevent her from getting to you again guys, it's time to reactivate an old memory now. And one that only you can do now, Sarah, you too Jim, because this was another trap, I'm reversing the ambush and I need your help with that, because it's getting her to think you're still under her control, or not." he said and the quintet exchanged looks as the Chinese officer answered him as he said it to him.

"Which one Wesley?" he asked and and he explained that gently. "When I showed you guys what I was capable of when we started out, Jim: the virus, the meteor and the forcefield. To keep her out of the engineering room, so you can get the cure into the computer, it's the only chance we have now. I've got her on a wild goose chase right now, Sarah you took it down back then at the time after the commander left."

"When we had that run in with the meteor, but you have got to put it back up now, by that I mean put up the force field at both Turbolifts. But the secondary entrance into the room and the main door, they're not getting in here or into the control. Because with you being technicians, she'd have to possess another technician not on duty right now. Just to get in here and arm that self destruct with the fact I just prevented her from it."

"Since her plan is falling apart with the fact I freed you and Sickbay, as well as Guinan now, Dr. Pulaski is here and Data is back on line. So piece by piece her plan is falling apart, but part three is her supposed capture of me. As for this other piece to it now if this was the series focused on that mental maniac, I'm busy with distracting her while you guys free the rest of the adult crew and the non officers as well as security."

"But listen to pull that off I have to get her to send them to double check, reverse the ambush, and Data stay here, while you do this and get it into the computers now. But I get her to send Robertson and his team mate to check so pretend you're still under her control. and the jump them. Reverse the ambush on the way they did it on Robin last night, but pretend you're still under her control, but it's getting her to do it with the trio."

"But she sends Robertson in here, Bates to Ten Forward and Greyson to sickbay, and we have all of them and all thats left in her control is Macgregor and that's not if he's working for her or not right now. But reverse the ambush and make her think that she's got everyone, but in reality, it's game over and her next plan. That she tries to activate now, but last night it was 50 compromised for every 1 clear officer, now it's in reverse."

"50 clean officers for every still programmed officer still suffering the side effects of that thing and I'm activating a little program to tell who's who. But I just have to do that after mom and the quintet are clear of the programming as for the next week. But we got a repeater of attempted takeovers now until her third plan activates now." he said and she nodded as they exchanged smiles at his idea then as she said it then.

"Nice touch I couldn't think up a better plan then that right now." Robin said smiling and Macdougal nodded. "I couldn't figure out how you did it then, but this time I do now, hold it, that's it, Jim the computer chips, yank ten of them from their slots and I'm setting up the forcefield. And we go from there, I can lock down the entire terminal in here and with it they can't get into engineering, because the ship is in our control.

"While you're leading her on a wild goose chase right now at the moment." she said as Jenson answered him. "The virus, when we first started out, yes I see what you're trying to tell me. What's the plan right now Wes, till you give me the signal?" he asked and he explained that to him gently. "Lock down engineering completely to keep the infected personnel out of the room, Turbolifts, and the main doors into the room."

The programme I created enabled the sentient programming and the computer, Lal was ordered that once you're free. To listen directly to you, but lock down conn position, my position a second time and and activate the tractor beam, because our ace in the hole is about to activate now. And you'll see why once she decides to try and attack, but if you heard the hum like an oversized cat, I'm the reason for that."

"I did the repairs from across the hall in your station Chief." he said and the trio smiled dangerously. "Well I wasn't expecting it to cause the system to sound like an oversized cat right now, but that was hilarious right now." Goldberg said as he tried to keep from laughing at that. "Oh I can't wait to see the look on her face when she realized you played her now, because not only did you reverse the ambush, you lead her on now."

"Alright Sarah, Jenny and I coming up there to hear this later, but at the moment we better finish this and then you tell us what else is going on. And why, if whoever you're hanging around with at the academy is responsible." O'Brien said and he nodded. "Yeah, but one, once I get their attention on me, deactivate the helm, and reactivate the program when Data tells you, but you're hearing me call it out then."

"And secondly once she thinks she's got me, activate the Turbolifts when I tell you, because I'm sending this into a run around one last time. I need a quick recharge when I do this, but just trust me this is going to work right now." he said and sighed as he turned his voice to Robin, his tone gentle, but caring as he said it to her. Wes you don't have to do this alone you know." she said and he pressed his forehead to her then

"Robin, honey, look I know you're worried and you want to help me, but I have to finish this alone, I know them better then you think now. And you'll know when this situation is beginning to affect the programming. Because I'm going to have to risk getting their parental instincts going on a rampage regarding this. But in a bit, it's that the only help you can give me right now is by helping them get the cure into the computer now."

"But we have to catch every security personnel off guard and to prevent anymore screw ups, as we already had to arrest every secondary that tried to turn us, Charlie and me in. And because we have to make her think she still has you and the hotspots right now. And till Data is going to be coming after me to finish this, but that's the ace now." he said and she answered him gently as she took his hands as the group sighed.

'Kid, you can't keep doing this on your own like this, you're not indestructible, you still need us son.' The group thought to him softly as she answered him. 'Just like last year, he's going to keep going till we have to yank the decision out of his hands. But he's not up to this we can see it clearly, but at the rate this is going, I'm relieved she came back as it's a repeater of the knack right now.' Jenson thought to himself then softly

"Wes, you keep this up much longer you're going to collapse and whatever this is its just making you worse, I don't know if these were true caffeine or they've been cut with something. But between Nick, the nightmares and now this, you're in no condition to do this alone. At the rate this is going you're going to be home for several months to a year at this rate if it drains you this far or further but if theres more to this."

"The more you fight your exhaustion and the faster it's take hold you can't do this on your own right now, you need someone watching you back right now." she said and he nodded as he answered her. "Yeah well there's a few things I've got to discuss with my mother and the sextet. You're new, you don't know them the way I do, just like you were just getting to know the crew in the same way at the moment now."

"But everything that's causing me to look like this, it was seen in another way and it's something you wouldn't understand. And not just yet right now, but they and the team here could, because they saw. And have seen it before, my..., my previous trauma a few years back plays a part of this as well. But that's why she came back, she was here for it." he said and he sighed as he looked at them as he said it to Robin.

"And only they understand it, including the doctor, she and the sextet, know the most, guys you better explain that one to her. Just give me twenty minutes and you'll know phase four just started, because we have to tie this up right now at the moment. But Doctor you better just tell her the truth, because Michaels ran the test the effects are still present right now." He said and they nodded as MacDougal answered him.

"Alright just be careful in there and when you're ready, give us the signal." she said and he nodded to the orders as Robin gave him a quick hug and he climbed back up the ladder. As soon as he was out of earshot they sighed. "We may have to make that decision this time, with you here Kate, because the damn side effects from Devin throwing his knack on him are still present." O'brien said and she nodded as Robin said it.

"I can't believe this right now, it's like something else is driving him, what's causing this in him. we may have gotten back together earlier this week, but I've never seen him like this before?" she asked and MacDougal answered that. "Aside from his surrogate big sister, she's the ninth member of the senior staff at our deployment. But she's one reason and the other is an elf we had here, but both were too quick to prevent."

"As that's not enough, he just released the anger he felt at the captain, regarding his father. But Jack, not realizing he just up and abandoned him, was killed 14 years ago when the captain was Captain of the Stargazer. Tasha was a year or so younger than the commander, but he loved her like a sister. Aside from that is his career in command officers training has to deal with a no win scenarios, and this was the one."

"That caused him to fail, saving one thing at the expense of the other, that's his biggest fear. He can't make that choice: saving the federation at the expense of everything matters to him. But he's been pushing himself so hard to prevent anything from happening to us. That he's ran himself ragged three times in four years and this is number three now as a result." she said gently and she nodded to her at the news.

"This has been going on for 18 hours now, and he was delaying till Data finished that Palm beacon. Just why the heck is he keeping this going?" Robin asked and they sighed. "She's intending to use him to get that thing to the academy, it's like the movies of that century focused on that dream menace. And he's also suffering flashbacks to another trauma and if I have to guess, with the fact Porter warned off Macgregor."

"It's Radue and Aldea, but we have an alliance of three different planets right now at the moment, but Cardassia, Aldea and K'taris. But if this was intended to be driven until he drains himself so far down and his system could impact and crash a second time. But Soong forced him into working time last year and she just did it again, because of you, particularly." Data said to her and Jenson slammed his hand on the table at that.

"The fear of him and Etana is overwhelming him so hard, he's not stopping till you come to his rescue. It's Radue, it has to be right now, if this was like that game, Radue is the Minotaur, she's the next one up. But both together the fear is controlling him, he's not stopping till he has her where he wants her. And it's when she thinks she's got a win, but pushing him into this with him in this condition right now at the moment."

"Sleep deprivation, damn it of course, he's been having repeated nightmares about us and the sextet, and this just relit that fear. But first Tasha, then Devin, we had one too many close calls at the moment, but we had to deal with his therapy, but everything the commander told you was true. And Lol just reactivated that fear, but one would be easy, two is pushing it, but all of us now." he said and Pulaski said it with a growl.

"And that's going way too far, Deanna and I were already furious enough that he was worked until he collapsed, but this is going to far right now. But that would do it alright, she's turned into his version of that mental maniac and Radue is just the first piece to it right now. Aldea, he's still scared to death of getting captured by those people and Radue is like a man out of your worst nightmare for cases of PTSD."

"As to that he's avoiding MacGregor and sticking to the tunnels just to keep from being seen." she said and Barnfield answered her with a sigh at that. "I think his instincts activated the second MacGregor laid eyes on him, but if he's trying to stay away from the rest of the adult personnel. Than he's not going to stop till he either collapses or breaks his ankle, God he can't keep this up, though if he's gone to his survival training.

"And those he's gotten one recharge out of it right now, but he can't stay put too long to get the other. And he loses that second dose and he's screwed because he's going to crash. Wes, never mind just holding out on that second dose, take it now, before you collapse honey." she said to him softly in concern. "Whatever we would have told him, if we'd been ourselves I think he's using it now, but what's his plan right now."

"And it's drain that cocktail till he collapses. Because he does that, he's going to fall asleep, before we can get him into Sickbay and into bed here." Jenson said and O'Brien nodded in agreement. "I think that's his plan actually, implicate her for a near murder now. And make her think she has him finally right now?" O'Brien said to him and he nodded gently as Goldburg answered that with a growl as he felt his anger grow.

"Draining him that dangerously, in our eyes as humans and earthlings, is considered a near murder anyway, because he's got nothing left by the time the chase ends. That he's going to be in bed for a month, if he doesn't take it easy in the first week to ten days of this. And as a result his mother is going to kill her for both that and a possible injury while doing it." Rick Goldburg said to him and he nodded in agreement.

"Yes and I do believe that's his plan, but with you deciding to act like you always did with him, it just added on to his plan. If whatever you decided was a good enough alibi Chief O'Brien he's going along with it,. He's playing up the irrational medical patient ploy now. Draining the dose completely till she thinks she has him and then I'm going to catch her in the act myself, just get ready for the radio call, because it's to be close."

"And make them think you're still under her control at the moment the others have locked and barricaded the doors shut, but leave the radio and on two different lines while we do this." Data said and they nodded. "Well that's definitely going to get her nailed when the sextet figure this out right now. But if Will is acting and is still acting like his father now, it's acting like he's trying to prevent him from getting off the bed."

"Which did happen when he came down with the flu after his fever started spiking and I still remember that. He was so delirious it took him five minutes to calm him down." Pulaski said with a sigh and Robin looked at her. "Just what caused that exactly?" she asked and she sighed as she said it. "This was after Jaan was on the ship, he drove himself into the ground and it was enough his system crashed at the time."

"When he didn't report in like three days later after Jaan was killed, Deanna, Will and I went to check on him and found him lying on his bed drenched in sweat. And his fever was so high, she called me in there. Before my team arrived to bring him to Sickbay, but whatever the delirium triggered, I don't know. But whatever that hallucination was caused to panic before Will caught him, to prevent him from getting off the bed."

"But it's enough that Will decided to be the one to deal with the physical fight in trying to keep him in bed and as to why that was. Whatever that hallucination was, was enough that he immediately went to calm him down, because it was like those movies based on that mental lunatic in the 20th century. Though I doubt it, but any other traumas prior to this are enough to trigger that, at the current moment right now."

"But I'd never seen Will like this before, but for him it's like he was taking the older brother/father bit willingly regarding him at the time, and as to why at the time. It was because he wasn't leaving his side, but his reaction to Wesley was acting on their bonds. Whatever that hallucination was I don't know, but it was enough that he was trying to talk him down, and whoever is about to trigger it again is the next question."

"Andvif he's afraid of her, or just having his head messed with now, I've seen fevers this high from pneumonia, but in his case he was suffering a iron deficiency at the time. But if Will already said this now, we made one mistake in not getting to rest when Devin was here at the time that year now. And we're not making the same mistake twice, if he suffers another collpase or worse and he's getting that break now."

"And with that he hadn't had a chance to eat a real meal and rest in two weeks after I got the diagnostics back on Jaan saying he was suffering the severe effects of his species ailment and he didn't have long to live now. But if that knack is still affecting him I'm going to have to determine that, if this is just the beginning. But the delirium snapped finally, though we have to do this for real and he's the one calming him down."

"Wesley loves him like a father and older brother rolled into one and nearly losing him after the bacteria got into his system it's enough he's not letting go now. Once you see them together you'll understand, but I saw the way they were together when I was serving as the CMO here on the ship. But I got a repoire with everyone here and Kyle was his biggest reason for this, but Kyle abandoned Will, when he was sixteen."

"Jack abandoned Wes and Beverly and the effects of the knack released one part of it, Jeremy did the next and finally the psycholgical testing was the third. But he was healed and as he told you, Will was his godfather, but to him, all he had left of his parents was Beverly, and he's closest to the members he freed now." she said and Robin crossed for her arms at that as she got the reference as they ended it at that.


	18. 18: Found And Freeing The Security Crew

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs to me and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Warnings: This Chapter finishes off the Episode, before the ending begins and the aftermath to the game starts. As they start dealing with the side effects of the game, as they see the results of what having the guard from Aldea around does to Wesley and sextet that were arrested by the planet of the guard's planet, as things continue they they realize there was a dangerous effect.**

 **Chapter 18: The Search, The Chase And The Ambush**

 **The Search-Wesley's POV**

"Alright here we go." Wesley said as he was climbing into the deck 7, section 23 as he climbed into the bowels of the ship. "Lal activate the added noise in here, we need to make as much noise as possible here at the moment, to make it clear I jumped decks right to get they're attention." he said as he activated his radio. "Guys get ready, the distraction and division plot is about to start right now and with that, honey."

"I'm keeping them busy while you get into the system, because anyone not near the computer monitors or screens, but he and set that system. And to counter act the addictive effects of the game, is being hit with the palm beacon right now. So we just get their attention, and by that I mean the Commander and Lieutenant Worf. And so we get their attention on us and keep it on us." he said and knew she nodded to him.

As she started the frequent bangs and clangs as he was hanging around the wall. "Lal make sure you got it against the wall where they can hear it both from sickbay, the bridge and into engineering now. We have to get the duo in here, and then once they in here, we get your father to say the orders for Picard. We're giving the orders, but lock out the communicators from the security to bridge." he added as they waited then.

 **Setting up the Trap-Data's POV:**

"Alright I created several of the palm beacons to do the rest of the security teams so here, this one is your's Doctor, and Lal, teleport the next one to ten forward, and listen to everyone that is clear. And wait till after the guards are before you listen to their orders." Data said and they nodded. "Lal teleport me to sickbay." Pulaski said and she disappeared, before, thinking fast Jenson said it to her.

"And Lal teleport me into Ten Forward, I'm joining them so we can get to whoever is sent there." he said and he nodded as they watched him teleport out of the room. "Wes, we're in position, ready when you are." O'Brien said and he got an immediate response. _**"Aye, I'm signaling the captain and bridge crew first, so once I get to them, it's now setting up the sextet to be caught by you now, but you'll know."**_

 _ **"You'll know the second I got them into designated checks, but I'm baiting her into thinking Data never got to you yet, so it's best to check and when the captain gives the orders, Data, do it from the control room. We're reversing this in the way they did it last night when I threw her off guard by telling you my ploy honey, but get ready, I'm doing it now."**_ Wesley said and they nodded to that.

 **The Bridge Nobody's POV:**

Thinking over everything that went on the night before, Geordi thought over the sequence, the young man was using as he thought it to himself. 'Our maneuvers, alright turning the Turbolifts back on, use of the anesthezine, checking the cargo bay, that we gassed the room with. Guarding the..., Roga, Roga Danar, that's it. He's been using Danar's strategy this entire time.' he thought as he said it out loud then to the trio.

"Alright, Sir I just figured it out now, that source of his entire strategy was from a previous manhunt 2 years ago. The man was an escaped soldier, his name's Roga Danar. And said manhunt knocked me, and four other technicians unconscious. Just before he got into the Jeffries tubes, but he's not bothering with the phasers, because trying to attack us head on would result in getting captured." he said and he nodded to him then.

"He's using his strategy and she's using ours, our moves in each piece, but every move and counter move was the chess game we played against him. And with the fact we lost most of the primary players, it's down to Commander Riker and Lieutenant Worf now, with us locked in here and Chief O'Brien, Commander MacDougal and Lieutenant Shimoda locked in the engineering room right now." he said to him and they nodded.

"That's what he wanted us to remember, he was leaving clue after clue, after clue out to us last night regarding this?" Beverly asked and he nodded. "Yeah and it's just as we find him in the extension shaft finally." he said and Picard nodded. "Lovely, we figure it out just as it shifts from a scavenger hunt and possibly right into hide and seek next." he said as they heard a loud crash right through the wall at that remark.

And they all looked at the wall at that remark as they exchanged looks at that. "I think the hide ended up in the wall now if we just heard that thunk, at the moment." Beverly said and he nodded as he finished, as they heard a secondary clunk in answer to that and Picard answered her remark. "Great, first we track him into section 23 and now he's ended up five decks below it and is hanging around on the ramps in the shaft."

"And now the hide is getting way to loud right now at the moment, alright young man whatever it is you're doing in there, it's time to call it quits now as well." he added as, not paying attention to that response. He didn't see Charlie Dayton as he was trying to keep from laughing at the answering response to his remark. As he got on the line to report their latest news to the search party at the revelation they uncovered at that.

'Wes whatever you're doing in there you better cool it right now, if Robin is back to normal, she's trying to keep from laughing at this. But you keep screwing around like this, I'm going to blow my cover, now cool it already, bro. That's enough of this already right now, so enough of the screwing around man!' he said to him through his mental laughter at that reaction then as he heard him report the news then to the duo.

"Commander, we just figured out who the pattern belongs to at the moment. In fact it's the memory he's been trying to shove forward all night here. Every move and counter move belongs to a soldier we had on board, by the name of Roga Danar. That was the last manhunt we had here, but his moves were Danar's moves and we're unknowlingly replicating ours from that chess game with him.

"But he's backed us into a check and this game just took a more dangerous turn right now. Because he's ended up in the wall now here as well." Picard said into the radio as he waited at that. As he heard the younger man answer him, his tone loaded with relief as he answered him at that remark as he said it to him at that. ** _"Roga Danar, well that explains why this has taken so long now, but we found him finally."_**

 ** _"He's on deck 12, section 10, and we're heading there now."_** he said and they nodded as they waited for the next response as the four them waited then. "Son come on, enough already with the practical jokes and childish maneuvers right now, this has gone on long enough right now. Come on now, the game's over, its time to stop right now, you're in no condition for this." he said softly as they waited for a response.

 **The Chase Begins- Riker's POV**

Heading for the turbolift they were getting ready to head for deck 12, section 10, when they heard from Picard right then as they got the report. ** _"Commander, we just figured out who the pattern belongs to at the moment. In fact it's the memory he's been trying to shove forward all night here. Every move and counter move belongs to a soldier we had on board, by the name of Roga Danar."_**

 ** _"That was the last manhunt we had here, but his moves were Danar's moves and we're unknowlingly replicating ours from that chess game with him. But he's backed us into a check and this game just took a more dangerous turn right now. Because he's ended up in the wall now here as well."_** Picard said into the radio as Will nodded to the news as he answered him at that.

As he thought it to himself. 'Danar, why didn't I realize that yesterday, the Turbolifts were my tactic to try and catch him in there at the time, with us in engineering and Data disabled, that's the catch.' he thought as he said it then. "Roga Danar, well that explains why this has taken so long, well we found him. He's on deck 12, section 10, and we're heading there now." he said and they nodded as they waited for the next response.

Heading for deck 12, the duo were walking towards the Jeffries tube extention shaft, when they heard a loud clang ring out from the wall next to them. Hearing that they froze, as Will pressed his hand to the wall and in response, he heard a loud clang as the reverberations from it started ringing out from it. "He's on section 23 again." Worf said and they exchanged looks at that in amazement as he said it for both of them then.

"You got to be kidding, he was downstairs, how did he get up here that fast." he said as the noise started getting worse. "Whatever he did and how we can find out later, but I believe he knows we're on this floor and with only the wall between us. But if he does then he's trying to get our attention to make the games more interesting right now in this case at the moment." Worf said, as they heard a thunk to confirm that thought.

"Teenagers right now this kid is pushing his limits at the moment in the games right now but this is getting out of hand right now." Robertson said as he walked up after he heard the thud and he nodded. "If he wanted our attention I think that's why he did it." his team mate said in to that as he heard a thunk to that. "You want our attention then you got it young man and with that now, Buster." he said and Will nodded firmly.

"Wes whatever you're doing it there, cool it already and get out of there." he said as they heard a loud crash in answer to that. "Lovely, one second we find him in deck 12, the next he's 5 decks above and hanging around in the wall. That's one hell of a magic act." he heard from Derek Greyson and he nodded. "Whatever he's doing in there, the noise is bouncing around in there and we can hear it from this side of the wall."

"I don't believe this, it's been one thing after another the last 20 hours, but this time it's just ended up in the wall. Alright kid, what's next exactly, because you're really pushing the limit right now." he asked as they heard two clangs followed by a crash and then a loud thud on his side of the wall in answer to that. Looking at them at this as he hid a smile as he said it to them as they exchanged looks then gently.

"Whatever this is, it's just shifted from a scavenger hunt and right to hide and seek at the moment, but scavenger hunts, screwing around with the power and you in there, he wasn't about to start toying around with the environmental controls. But first a scavenger hunt and now we switch it to tag and hide and seek at the moment and to repeat the captain the hide's gotten way too loud here." Greyson said and Bates nodded.

"Though at the rate this is going it's heading straight for bumper tag right now if this keeps up, whatever you got in mind here, now young man. But now it's time to cool it with the games now come on now, get out of there." Bates said in answer to that and they heard a loud crash in response. "I'll take that for a no, young man don't make me come in there after you." Greyson said with a bemused tone as they exchanged looks.

As they heard a secondary crash at that remark. "I'll take that one for a 'you want me, come and get me, Lieutenant, because I'm not coming out right now.'. Oh good grief, at this rate, it's he's not listening, though if we ordered him not to, than he's taking his orders to the max right now." Bates said as he interpreted the unspoken statement in the latest bit of noise that he gave them as they exchanged looks at the implication.

"Well that just made it clear, we catch him once and if he escapes custody a second time, it's going on till he drains every ounce of energy he has right now. Come on son, don't over do it, you're in no condition for this right now." Perkins said gently and they heard a loud clang as he moved his hand to the wall. "Come on kiddo, it's time to take a break now." he said and they heard a loud crash answer his remark at that.

"You think he knows we're on this side of the wall right now?" Watkins asked, and before any of the quartet could answer. They heard two crashes and a loud clang answer his question and Greyson answered that with a bemused smile on his face at that. "Yes Ensign, I'd say he does, though at the rate this is going. The next decision now it's he comes out on his own, or we drag him out of there." he said and they nodded to that.

And in answer to that remark, they heard two clangs, a crash and three more clangs to answer him. "I'm not coming out, so you want me, you're going to have come in after me Greyson.'." Will read out and they nodded to answer that remark. "Alright buddy you're starting to really push your limits right now. I'm giving you one chance, either come out or we're coming in after you, young man." he said with a stern tone to that.

And he heard three crashes and a loud clang to answer him. "Last year when we discussed this, you said not to listen to you and I know that's her doing the talking in your voices right now. So with that, after last night, you don't know whos free of the programming or not. And I made sure you couldn't check on that either, but the computer is still in my control and secondly now, Sirs.'." he read out as he heard it then.

"You ordered me not to follow your orders, and that's what I'm going to do, Commander. So again, you want me, you're going to have to come in after me, Sir, but this going to continue a bit longer right now. But think about it and the false alarms, I could be on this level or the next and you won't know Until you come in here right now, but I'm not coming out, so you want me you're going to come in after me now, Sir, lieutenant.'."

"Alright young man, if that's the way you want it, than fine." he said with a stern growl as he looked at the trio next to him. "Teenagers at this age, well if he's not going to listen, then it's arresting him, now." he started to say, before he heard another sentence in morse code then. "Alright if you want to try this approach right now, it's another reminder of the fact that I know you were ticked Soong took control of the ship.'."

"And you took it out on an android that was turned into a drone, because he wasn't here on the ship, you really think I wouldn't realize that right now. Well did you forget something else now at the moment here, that once separated from the rest of the group. That leaves my partner open to do this now, you want make sure that you still have the entire ship secured, go check on the ambush spots.'." he read out at that gently.

Feeling his concern at that growing he thought it over carefully then. "Robertson go check on engineering right now, so we can be sure of that." he said and they both nodded to the orders then and left. "You two, Bates, Greyson, you stay with us until we're sure of that. he said and they sighed the guard next to Greyson asked. "How can we be sure he's not bluffing, as this could be a trick?" he said to him and he shrugged.

"We don't, but then this, if Hanson tried to arrest him that might have something to do with this right now." he said, but before he could answer, they heard Picard's voice say it over the com-line then. _**"Lieutenants' Robertson, Bates and Greyson, I have reason to believe we've been boarded. Go check on Ten Forward, Sickbay and Engineering, Commander Riker and Lieutnant Worf take over from here."**_

 _ **"The Ambush parties need some extra help, so go join your team mates in each area, please."**_ Picard told them and they nodded. "We'll be down there in fifteen minutes we're trying to get him out of there while talking him out of there." Bates said and he nodded. _**"Alright, you have 20 minutes, but if that doesn't work join the ambush parties."**_ he said and they nodded to the orders then gently.

"Well at the rate this is going best to make sure he can't double back so we cut off the areas that he's going to use the tunnels for and we're in the areas that are open still right now. But we have got to get him out of there and if talking doesn't work, we're going to have to go in after him right now." Bates said and Will nodded as he answered that firmly as they exchanged looks then firmly at that remark as he closer to it.

"And before he does any more damage to his body after we found those shards lying on the table at the moment." he said, before they could answer, they heard three clangs, two crashes and a loud metallic thud and he nodded. "If you want me you're going to have to find me, because these tunnels are a honey comb, remember, Commander.'. Yeah I remember, and you keep this up and you're ending up in a time out pal."

"Because that's enough of the childish pranks and you're really testing my patience here young man. Now that's enough of this already, now again you come out of there, or I'm coming in after you, Wesley." he said sternly as he crossed his arms and the answering remark was a crash followed by a loud clang. And he nodded as he hid a sigh, knowing the young man was now trying to get them focused on him.

'Wes, enough already, come on now, it's time to quit.' he thought with a gentle sigh at that. "Whatever reason there is for this, I think he decided to go on the more direct approach right now. Just to get our attention though that's true, and he wanted our attention on him at the moment." Bates said and he nodded as he answered him as he looked at the wall with a bemused look on his face as he said it to him.

Looking at them at that remark. "At that level right now the games having shifted now, but we reached enough of this. If that adrenaline does gives out now he's going to collapse in there. Whatever the sudden power bursts are it's enough we got to deal with, because if he's screwing around in there it's he's fooling around with the sensors and throwing off his trail." Will said to him and he nodded to him, bemused.

"Yes well the Jeffries tubes means he's going to come out somewhere, but where we don't have a clue here. Because section 23 is the extension shaft, and there's a vertical shaft leading into the tunnel on this deck and it connects from Deck 1 to Deck 20." Watkins told him and he nodded. "Deck 1 to Deck 20 and he's in the extension shaft, and is now screwing around on the catwalks here just to get our attention on him."

"If I was nineteen and in the midst of our current situation right now, I'd be staying quiet. And not be trying to get the group that's looking for me, their attention, but this is ridiculous right now. Wes, you keep this up and you're going to get hurt, get out of there." he said and they heard a loud clang in answer to that as he looked at the trio as he said it into his communicator then, knowing Picard wasn't going to take this lightly.

"Alright we found him, Captain, the last tactic Danar used was using the transporter to get into the Jeffries tubes, but it took a half an hour to track him down at the time. He's back on deck 7 section 23, whatever else he has in mind we're not sure right now. But he's ended up in the bowels of the ship and is messing around on the catwalks." he said and heard Picard answer him at that in relief then as he answered him.

 _ **"What's that racket exactly Commander?"** _ he asked and he sighed as he answered him. "He's on the catwalks Sir, and whatever he's doing in there can be heard through the wall. But right now, Captain, he's got us on him and whatever it is, it's getting louder by the minute." he said and heard him answer that, though as he was saying it they heard a loud crash. That was followed by a second and then a loud clang after that.

And at that, he sighed as he heard the duo get on the radio at that as he heard an amused tone at this. _**"For gods sakes, yes we know, we can hear it from up here Commander. And whatever it is, it's getting louder by the minute right now here."**_ they heard from Beverly as they heard a crash followed by a second clang as he answered her at that, knowing they were finding this the way he was then.

"Whatever reason for this is intended to get our attention at the moment, but if we don't get him out of there, I'm looking at two things. Either we're going to have a repeat performance of that virus running loose regarding the star warp navigation computer engine chips, or a medical accident waiting to happen here. But that's probably the point now, because that portion is still high enough to do some damage at the moment."

"But if he's trying to disable the engines, yet again, that's why he went in there, and was avoiding capture till the last minute, it's either that or he's trying to continue with the subterfuge. But if we don't get him out of there he's going to get hurt next. If he takes an escape route and winds up crossing a hatch that was supposed to closed and was lying open when he went in there Captain right now Captain."

"Though at the moment..." Will started to say and they heard a fast comm message. _**"Captain, Commander, we were boarded alright, Dr. Pulaski and your father are here."**_ they heard from Anenzi. "Alright, Bates, you and Watkins go to Sickbay and you, Greyson, Perkins go to Engineering. And deal with this, Robertson, head for Ten Forward and keep an eye out in case he tries to come in there."

"While Lieutenant Worf and I are going in there after him." Will said and Picard answered that remark as he said it in amused annoyance as they heard another one and he hid a chuckle as he said it. _**"Yes alright, go in after him, and see what's going on in there, and Lieutenants Bates, Robertson, Greyson you and your team mates go to Sickbay, engineering and Ten Forward to help them out now."**_

 _ **"As for whatever he's trying to do, get him out there, before he hurts himself or breaks something. Because we can hear it from up here right now in whatever it is that he's doing in there right now."** _ Picard said and they nodded to the orders, as Will exchanged looks with Worf at this. Before he could say it, they heard three clangs and four crashes to answer him then at his remark then.

 _ **"What's that supposed to mean exactly right now, if he's doing this in morse code again right now?"** _ he heard from Dayton at that response. "He's saying, he's not coming out, we want him, we're going to have to come in after him." He said and he heard Beverly answer that with a stern tone. _**"Young man either you get out of there or they're coming in after you, because that's enough of this now.**_ "

 _ **"So again, we're giving you one chance, either you come out or Commander Riker and Lieutenant Worf are coming in after you, young man."** _ she said and in answer to that he heard three more clangs and a loud thud. "He's saying forget it, you want me come and get me, and with that in mind best to play it safe now and do this now, but best go check on the android in sickbay as well, you two, Bates, Greyson."

"You and your team mates go check sickbay and Ten forward, and Robertson, head for engineering, in case he's trying to get the drop on us this way. We've been tricked one too many times and it's we've got to get this under control before he tries anything else right now, but right now it's figuring this out now." he said and they nodded to the orders as the sextet left them and he looked at Worf as he said it to him then.

While also speaking to Picard and Beverly firmly as he said it then. "It's trying to figure out whether he's in the extension shaft on that deck or screwing around on the next deck up or down. But the next question is whether or not we got boarded here and we have a possible trap or not right now, Sir, Doctor." he said and he heard Picard answer him at that as he knew his commander was getting concerned on that then.

 _ **"Alright, just find him and get him out of there, because this has been going on so long, he's either running on fumes. Or he's about to drain the latest dose he took in, but either way, get him out of there, before he gets hurt. But either way, we're going to have to check on the ambush parties and run a check on the android and with it right now Commander, Lieutenant."**_

 _ **"Whatever's going on we're running out of time on whether or not we have company coming after we got boarded."** _ he said and he nodded as he looked at Worf. "That area is likely on the catwalks or somewhere loud enough we can hear him, if it's reverberating off the walls in there. And we can hear it from this side of them, but what does he have in mind now." he said and Worf nodded as he thought it over.

Already knowing it was the younger man, he just had to wait. "What the hell is he doing in there?" he said and Worf felt his concern start climbing. "I'm not sure, but that level is high enough to do some damage if he's trying to run for it, and it was safer on the exterior rather than the interior and definitely not in the bowels of the ship." he said to him and he nodded in agreement as he thought it over and looked at him.

"You don't think...?" he started to say and he nodded. "Yes, if he's trying to keep our attention on him, it's doing something we'd never allow when we were on the holodeck training him at the time. But he's using every ploy that Danar used to avoid capture till the last minute here. But if he's in there he's about to try something beyond reckless in our opinions and to why that is now, training was no higher than two flights."

"But if there's a shaft lying open, and he's too scared to think rationally, he's not going to realize it till he walks right on top of it. Or just uses it as his next ploy in the way Danar pulled it, before he fried our tracking systems at the time." he said and Will nodded as he answered. "What floor is that level connected to. You said he's on deck seven, but where does that section lead into at the current moment right now."

"But it's doing this while you guys are are guarding the other areas yourselves, Parker, Rothman and Wilkenson. You get up here and guard the halls, with the sextet going to the public areas we need you guarding the halls from here and into the extension shat. But what the heck is he planning, he was in deck 12 and now he's on deck 7 and hanging around in there?" he asked him quickly and Bates answered that.

 _ **"You're on deck seven, but if he's hanging around in there, he's trying to take a different route to the shuttlebays."**_ Bates said to him and he nodded. _**"Thank god he didn't get into the upper levels higher than deck seven, otherwise that could do some real damage. Especially if we had an access shaft open in there, though with that in mind if Pulaski already told him this he's going to do it."**_

 _ **"But deck 7, section 23, that's the Jeffrie tubes extension shaft, but that's still high enough to do some damage here.**_ _ **If he really starts getting reckless now, but there's a vertical shaft into the corridor**_ _ **and six tubes scattered in there, Commander And that's not if he's does more damage then necessary."**_ Tim Watkins added and he nodded to that as he thought it over as he looked at Worf.

"Section 23, if he's climbing around the tunnels, before getting to the ladder. But he's been climbing back and forth along that section, but he does a jump and it's going to break something next at the moment Sir." he said and sighed then as Will nodded in agreement to that remark. As he tried to focus as, upon hearing that, Will sighed as he thought it over then as he looked at the wall as he tried to put himself in his student's spot.

'First I'm playing chess against him and now it's turned into hide and seek and freeze tag now. These games are getting annoying right now. Wesley enough already with the games alright, if the effect of that drug cocktail you took crashed earlier, you're going to collapse if you keep this up. Just stop already, come on that's enough of this already now.' he said to himself softly as he answered him as he tried to figure it out.

"Terrific, if he's crawling around in there it's trying to figure out which tube he's in. We know how he thinks, but trying guessing games here is something I'm not in the mood for right now. And not with the possibility that the epinephrine could give out now, and he could collapse out of exhaustion. It's trying to figure out where he is in there. So instead of chasing after him, we wait for him to come to us now and we stay put."

"So with that, with six tube tunnels, trying to figure out which one he's in is going to be the problem, but if it's not the tunnels he's in, it's going to be the decks right into the area. But with us it's easy to know, but here's the added problem where he's concerned. At this age he's using everything I taught him, but if he's letting his piloting side take hold he's about to try something even more dangerous than we'd allow."

"What with the fact that the six of us trained him ourselves. But if he's about to start getting reckless and I... aw great, damn it, at this age he's going for more dangerous acts and ones that he knows I'd never let him try and not at this age. I've been training him since he was fifteen and whatever he's got in mind I'd never allow him to try at the moment if the effects of that drug cocktail he took are spent now."

"Alright, Worf take the other end and we get him back in here, and that's not if he's deciding to back track. Because that's our only chance to end this, though if we hear that a second time it's enough. And its he's about to try something we'd never let him get away with, let alone approve before, with him being a junior member of our team and us training him since he was fifteen." he said and Worf nodded as he took the other.

'Section 23, it's trying to figure out if he's in there or he's on the deck right above us, we have to keep him from getting into the more dangerous parts of the ship right now. And get him out of there. Wesley enough with the reckless stunts now, this game has gone on long enough, now enough already.' he thought to himself as he climbed down the shaft and headed for the second to the left shaft to opened it then

And waited for him to get there. 'Come on Wesley, where are you exactly, on this deck or the one above us?' he thought to himself as he looked around the room quickly and checked all of them. 'He's not in here, he's got to be on the next deck right above me or even three decks above me in the shaft. At the moment now right now, but I've got the sextet checking on the others now right now, and he's in the tubes right now.

'Alright I just have to wait now.' he thought to himself, though just as he was getting into position he heard a loud thunk just above him and he sighed at that.

 **The Guards Freed-Data's POV**

As Data waited for them to arrive then, he hid in the control room, before he heard Greyson and Perkins come into the room then. "Any luck with finding him?" Greyson asked, and he immediately hit the lights in the room and then hit them both with several flashes each. "Lal turn the lights back on right now." he said and they came back on as the duo shook their heads to clear them, before looking up at him then.

"Alright, I take it you were the one that set up that trap, to reverse the ambush now Data, because with us back to normal I can take a guess of what the hell was going on this week. But the Commander was patient zero, and he infected Deanna, she infected Beverly, you get deactivated and it starts going through the rest of the ship like a brushfire." he said and they nodded as O'brien answered him gently then at that.

"Wes decided to reverse the ambush, last night it was fifty infected to one clean with us back to normal we had to get everyone connected to him clear of the effects of that thing. But Wes decided to take his orders that you gave him to the max, and he said he had to run his booster last night. Which explains why Eric found that shard covered in blood, stage acting." he said and Greyson nodded as he covered his eyes.

"I guess he decided to start playing with timer, like we discussed before we had the kid on board the ship and Eric had to arrest Derek again for speed-balling?" Perkins asked and he nodded. "Our discussion last year landed on the table, though that explains his panic attack when Macgregor tried to arrest him last night. If macgregor is the younger cousin or even brother of Radue..." O'brien said and they nodded firmly to that.

"Then the bastard just made our job even harder then it is already, because he's afraid of him and locked the entrance tubes and service crawlways. And turned every room he was in, into a fortress until this ended, but we know, hopefully the damn idiot never gets involved even further now. Because he does and we're seeing the direct demonstration to that and if he gets hurt, we're going to have to snap him out of that reaction."

"Before whatever happens next results in making his injuries worse then they are already right now." Greyson said with a stern tone and they nodded as Barnfield answered him. Yeah everything was connected to our conversation, from last year and it's worked so well now. That I think her crew channeled themselves into us to find him, but with him knowing us so well that's not working either right now."

"But Derek got arrested last night, and Data caught him and he did it again." Barnfield said and he nodded angrily. "Damn it, what made him think Wes would try to attack us head on, he knows better then that and he's not going to get reckless. That's our statement in the way of training right now, but hard training's black ops which is what he tried and he gets arrested by one of the teachers in this training gone real scenario."

"Wes has evaded capture this long and he's using the act of soft training to get past them and us, but now that everyone, but the crew staff: his mother and the quintet. But the rest of us are back to normal right now anyway." he said as he got an answering response to that over the radio from Bates. **_"Yeah we're back to normal and I got in touch with Eric, he was the first right now, but they reversed the ambush."_**

 ** _"Just to free us, but this has Wes's signature all over it."_** he said and he nodded. "Yeah, Wes would go for a good offense by setting up a good defense by getting the drop on her and by reversing the ambush. This wasn't Data or any of the groups that thought this out, it's Wes, he knows us way too well to know what to do right now and with it, decided to get the drop on us right now and with that in mind right now."

"I think he was focusing on us as we are now, and while she turned us into drones to get him to expose himself, he was focusing on our voices as we are now. Hang on." he said and he hit his communicator then. "Wes, son you hear me?" he asked and he heard a relieved tone then. _**"Yeah Lieutenant I can, I'm two decks above section 23 right now, but this was a case of divide and conquer right now."**_

 _ **"That was Data that reported that Pulaski and grandpa arrived, we were getting you six out of the search, because this was to get her to implicate herself now. By thinking she had me, but I think you can read out the symptoms now that you're yourselves again."**_ he said and they both nodded with a sigh. "We can and why..., never mind you can't tell us or you're telling her that right now."

"Alright I get it, but we're staying in here, but whatever you do if you have another on the edge of that, but was Charlie part of this as well right now?" he asked and he heard a smile in the teenager's tone. _**"Yeah he is. in fact he's my version of dad, Robin is Commander Carter and Jake was Commander Ferretti. But with this and I better explain this now, but we met at the academy nine months ago."**_

 _ **"Once you see us together with Robin you'll know and see it immediately, but our bond is strong, Robin and I've been together for three months prior to her and Charlie arriving."**_ he said and they both nodded to the news. "Alright you can tell us later, but be careful, the Commander and Worf have gone in after you, but if those spasms suddenly hit stay away from the shaft okay." he said and he heard a sigh.

 _ **"I'm not sure what the heck is causing them, it could be the caffeine, or it could be something else, but either way we don't have time for this right now. Because we're coming to the conclusion right now at the moment here, but we're at stage 3, borderline stage 4 right now. I've got to get her to implicate herself now by getting caught in the act."** _ he said and they nodded gently.

As he answered him. "Alright be careful and I'll see you later on tonight son." he said and he he heard a smile in his tone as he answered him then. _**"I will, see you soon Lieutenant."**_ he said and they nodded as they ended it at. "God I swear this kid is going to give me a heart attack if he keeps this up right now." he said and the group nodded in agreement to that remark as he answered him gently at that.

"Yeah I know, but get ready for the next one." Goldberg said as they heard a loud clang as as the noise started echoing out of the tubes and they looked at them in disbelief at that. "What the hell did he just do if we heard that?" Perkins asked and she sighed. "He decided to triple the height of the jump this time and did it from two or three decks above, he's in the extension shaft now." Shimoda said and they nodded in shock.

"For gods sakes son, are you trying to give me a heart attack right now, you know we never allowed you to try it from that height!" Greyson said in shock and they nodded. "Yeah I know, but if that realization doesn't nothing ever does right now, to get their parental instincts to go berserk." Robin said and he nodded. "First his simulating that injury and now this, he keeps this up, and while I'm at you and Charlie young lady."

"But you guys keep this up and none of us adult crew are going to make it to our next birthday, because this is going past dangerous and bordering on insanely reckless right now, kid. But you got to get this under control and before you do, do that kiddo." Perkins said to her in exasperation to that as they waited for the next response then as they knew that the entire crew heard that thud then as they did it then.

 **Wesley:**

After climbing down the access hatch he arrived at his destination, and to insure he got their attention he decided to try another stunt he knew the sextet were going to consider reckless. "Where are they, I haven't see either of them since I got in here. Alright time to get their attention further." he said and looked at the level he was standing on and then looked down as he looked at the number and took a deep breath.

"Alright I think they know I'm on deck seven by now, but section twenty three, they figure it out they're going to freak out at what I just did. Commander Riker never allowed me to try what I'm about to these last five years, he's been acting like my father since I've known him. Sorry Commander, but this is one exception to the rule you'll understand later." he said as he looked at the level he was on and looked down to see his landing as he said it with a swallow then.

"Level 4, I'm 60 feet off the floor, oh god this is going to hurt if I land the wrong way, mom's going to kill me if she hears I did this. They have to be down here somewhere, but I don't know how long its taking Data. Hurry up I'm running out of time here." he said with a whisper as he let go and dropped the rest of the way down, before landing on the panel and feeling a jolt of pain shoot through his leg then.

'No, don't scream, but God this hurts.' he thought as he blew the landing and feeling jolts of pain going through his leg then as he felt his ankle turn sideways. As he got ready to get up the same spasms that hit him in his mother's office and the tunnels hit him a third time then. 'No god not now, stop, please, stop.' he said in agony as the pain felt like a nail shooting through his head and stomach then, before stopping.

"God I got to go, before that happens again." he said, feeling the sweat pouring down his face then. As he quickly got up he turned to second shaft on the right and opened it, as he headed down it and came face to face with Worf before he quickly turned and headed in the other direction.

 **Sickbay:**

As they were talking, they suddenly a loud clang ring out from the wall and they all turned and looked at it. "Just what the heck is going on in there exactly right now, first the amount of noise regarding his trying to get their attention on him. And by screwing around on the catwalks in the bowels of the ship and now he's going for the next step and it's by daredevil stunts like this?" The nurse said in shock and Pulaski sighed.

"I think he did a jump from one of the levels leading into the extension shaft right now. But a metal floor in the extension shaft, the conductor is loud enough to hear the noise no matter where you are on the ship. But then we never allowed him to try that when I'd been CMO, and he's trying to drag out the father in Will. By pulling stunts like this right now at the moment and doing it that close to the wall is enough to get our attention."

"And especially if you're right next to the wall leading into the bowels of the ship." she said and her flight companion answered her, bemused, as he said it. "Which we are right now, that wall is connected to the bowels of the ship and the maintenance tunnels, but the Jeffries tube and maintenance tunnels are connected. But if Will's paternal instincts are going on a rampage it's because the deprogramming is working right now."

"My son is a 33 year old version of me and at that age, the mentoring instincts are going so crazy it's over riding the programming if this gets any worse right now. Though I bet it's just shifted to desperation now. If that guard you mentioned is scaring him enough he's likely going to go for the next step just to do it. If we can hear that, because it's one deck above us, so can everyone else if their right next to the wall."

"Though if he did that, I doubt he had enough time to bend his knees before he tried that, but that's going too far here in getting our attention right now." he said and the Anenzi answered that with a furious tone in his voice. "That's the understatement of the century right now, once the sextet hear this, his mother is going to kill her for putting him in a position to land himself in the E.R. right now here."

"Did he tell you what he had planned?" he asked and she nodded. "He's setting her up for capture, but he's draining both doses and every ounce of the caffeine level in his system. But trying that it's going to be having him sleep for three days at this rate." she said and he nodded. "Excessive exercise, balanced diet and double helpings and plenty of rest, whoever was going to suggest this, I guess he took the prescription right now."

"But whatever is in those pills he was going to give me is the next question now." he said and Kyle Riker said it firmly at that. "Whatever it is we can find out at a later time, but the longer this goes on, he's going to collapse if Hanson pushes him into a fight." he said and they nodded as they waited as they heard a loud clang then as the noise was bouncing off the walls then and he sighed at that as he said it.

"I don't doubt if we can hear that from on this deck, then they can hear it both upstairs and downstairs right now." he said they nodded as they waited for stage 3 to switch into stage 4 then. Knowing that the young man was going to be needing medical attention then after what he was pulling and knowing, now. That his ankle was likely to lay him out then and things were about to go from bad to worse over the rest of the week.

 **Worf's POV:**

Hearing the clang from his direction, Worf looked up at that. 'Wesley, what are you doing exactly?' he thought to himself as he remembered climbing into the tube and then felt his heart clench. 'When I activated the doors to this tube I never checked above me to see if that hatch was still open or not. But if that clang was that loud, it means he has...' he started to say to himself and then felt his heart skip several beats as he realized it.

'Wesley have you lost total control of your faculties, you're going to break your ankle doing that. Alright that is enough of this, you're not trying that a second time right now.' he thought as he heard the door to his section open as he waited and he moved forward. As the young man came face to face with him and he quickly turned around. 'Wesley stop, calm down, come here.' he thought as he went after him then.

 **Riker POV:**

Waiting patiently he heard a loud thud as the echoing noise started bouncing off the walls in the extension shaft then. 'For gods sakes, if I can hear that right through the tunnels shaft door, than they can hear that, both upstairs and downstairs right now.' he thought as he waited then, as he then heard a pained hiss along with it then and knew that whatever the young man had done had put him in pain as he sighed.

"For crying out loud son, this is going too far and has gone on long enough right now. Wesley you keep dodging us like this. And you're going to hurt yourself, stop already, come on it's time to quit now." he whispered gently as he finished that mentally. 'Come on son, stop already, we know you too well to know how your strategies work, you're not going to get passed us, so stop already.' he added to himself softly as he waited.


	19. 19: The Check And The Checkmate

**The Bonds Of Friends And Family**

 **Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs to me and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.**

 **Warnings: This Chapter finishes off the Episode, before the ending begins and the aftermath to the game starts. As they start dealing with the side effects of the game, as they see the results of what having the guard from Aldea around does to Wesley and sextet that were arrested by the planet of the guard's planet, as things continue they they realize there was a dangerous effect.**

 **Chapter 19: The Check, The Checkmate And The Side Effects**

 **The Search Continued-Riker's POV**

As he heard a buzz and knew he took the one across from him then as he waited for him to come to him, knowing Worf was in that tunnel as they corralled him into an ambush as he waited for him to try the compartment he was. "What are you thinking right now Wesley? Wait a minute deck seven, section twenty..., oh my god, the extension shaft, I didn't look up there to check to see if it was still open when I got in here."

"If that latch is still open, he doesn't realize that it is, he's going to fall right through it, or just jump down it. Wesley stop, just stop!" he whispered to himself then gently at that. Despite the conditioning of the game, he was still working at acting like he always had with his young protege, only this time, it meant preventing him from trying anything reckless after they just heard that clang when he did the jump then into the shaft.

'Kid I swear, you're going to hurt yourself if you keep this up, just stop for a minute.' he thought as he waited as he heard a scrambling and buzzing from the other direction and knew Worf chased him back into the main access hatch corridor. "Wesley stop already, we know you too well kiddo, there's no chance at dodging us, and not when we're stuck in here, hold it." Will added softly as he waited patiently and got ready then.

As he quickly moved forward as the door opened, as he saw him look between him and Worf in a panic. 'Don't, easy son.' he thought as he got a better look at him then. 'Damn it, whatever happened when I saw him earlier just hit him again. Don't, don't son, easy. Don't try it, don't fight me, I'm not going to hurt you.' he thought as he moved toward him and the young man jumped as he grabbed the grate then.

And tried to climb back up, as, watching him carefully he saw that he was trying to get back up to that first rung. 'He's drenched in sweat, that's going to make it harder to reach the bars, son get down from there.' he thought as he watched him trying to get to past the grate and to the ladder. Now noting the body language then he knew the young man had risked doing further damage to his body just to free them then.

Watching him as he tried climbing up the extension shaft then he knew that the landing when they heard the clang had caused some damage to his ankle as he watched him carefully, before they tried to stop him. 'If we had that clang and they heard in both directions when he did that, he must have done something else now. But that heigh,t whatever it might be, we never allowed him to try it from that high off the floor.'

'No, if that's what I heard, he must have let go from...' he started to say to himself and saw that he was flinching when he was moved his leg. 'His ankle, that drop was directly on top of his ankle, but an injury like that could only happen if he dropped from higher than seven or eight feet, but...' he started to say to himself as he looked up and saw the position he was trying to get to and quickly looked at him as he got it.

'From the 10th or 15th rung, 25 feet right above us. Wait, wait a minute, I studied the schematics of this ship ever since I got stationed here and the last rung was ten feet up, we as adults can handle the landing, but it's twelve feet off the floor for him. Okay, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16..., that's a thirty to forty five foot drop from that height. That's three stories straight down and he landed sideways, directly on his ankle.'

'Where'd you let go exactly anyway?!' he thought as he looked at the way he was trying to move and seeing the way he could barely move his ankle he felt his concern hit the breaking point. 'His fear has caused him to pull one too many reckless stunts. Son what are you thinking here don't try it. Don't son, just calm down.' he thought quickly as he struggled to climb back up as he knew with that angle it was easier getting down then.

Looking at him, he knew the fall and landing had possibly sprained or broken his ankle as he said it to himself then. 'Alright possible sprained ankle, he's try to climb back up to the next deck above us to get out of range, but where exactly. Those walls are smooth, there are no handgrips, aside from the ladder. But if he let go from the fourth or fifth floor, from that level he dropped five floors, that's 60 feet, to get our attention."

'But that's enough to break his ankle, especially if he never bent his legs and he landed directly on top of it and sprained it. Or worse, dislocated his ankle and I never allowed him to try this when we were training him, during year two either, alright hold it a minute son.' he thought as he felt his concern hit him then as he realized it. 'Son what are you thinking right now, don't try it or you're going to do more than sprain your ankle.'

'Now come on get down from there, aasy son, just calm down.' he thought as he felt the father in him taking total control as he finished that as he got a better look at him then at that. 'He loses his grip he's going to break or dislocate it next in the fall if he lands hard enough. Wes get down from there now!' he thought as he watched him started climbing, but lost his grip and knew his palms were making it hard to find traction.

As when he lost his grip twice on the bars, feeling the paternal concern shoot through him he quickly said to that. "No not again, you're not going back up there, I'm not having you hurt yourself here alright, this is ending right now, easy son, it's okay.' He thought quickly to himself as he looked at Worf then as he did it. 'What's wrong?' Worf asked him and he quickly said it to him, with the friendship they had they could do it..

And quietly as he said it. 'The thud we heard was him letting go from that rung, it's a 25 to 45 foot drop from there from wherever he let go of when he landed down here. That level is is high enough that he could break something, to us, the further down where this is concerned the safer it is, but that drop is enough to do damage if you're in the state he's in, he's scared of us and his fear is making it hard to think rationally.'

"We have to get him down from there, before he loses his grip on one of the rungs and breaks something next.' he said with his eyes to Worf as he caught him around the waist and that did it as the young man struggled to climb up the grate. "No, let me go!" he said as he struggled to get free and they hung on to him. 'No, son you're going to hurt yourself if you keep this up, stop.' he thought to him in answer to that as he said it.

'Wesley stop, don't try that, you're going to break something or hurt yourself, stop, calm down, just let go, we're not going to hurt you, stop.' he thought quickly to him as he and Worf grabbed him quickly as they hold him as the fight started getting worse as he struggled to get free. 'Wesley, that's enough already, just let go.' he saw in Worf's eyes as he repeated that as they struggled to keep him from getting free of them.

'Son stop, don't try it, let go, come on let go.' he thought as he tightened his grip on him as Worf grabbed his arm to get him to release his grip. 'It's over, son, let go, it's alright, just let go.' he thought, before, thinking fast, he remembered and ran his fingers along his stomach, knowing the young man was ticklish as he felt his response to that. 'That's it, just let go, come on.' he thought as he went for his side and did it there.

'No dad, stop, let me go, stop.' he saw him thinking as he continued. 'No stop, let go, let go.' he practically heard the young man thinking as he hid a smile as he kept it up. 'No I can't take it, stop, stop.' he saw him thinking before he lost his grip finally as he landed between them and they both got a hold him then. "That's enough of this, you need to take it easy son." he said to him gently as he struggled to get free of him.

Before they left the shaft, he saw a hypospray syringe in his belt and felt his concern hit him. 'That's the back up dose, in case this one crashed on him, we just prevented him from collapsing out of exhaustion by getting to him now, before this could go any further.' he thought with a sigh as he took it and got ready to give it Beverly then as they got him out of the chamber and up to the bridge.

 **Wesley's POV:**

As they kept a grip on him, Wesley thought over the final portion of his plan then. 'Wes, time to initiate the last piece of this and give the biggest performance of your career now.' he heard his version of Will say to him and he hid a nod as they got him to the turbolift. "Engineering reactivate the Turbolifts." Will said as the door opened. 'Now Wesley, do it now.' he heard Worf's voice say to him then and he nodded mentally.

As he slammed his elbow into Will's stomach and that was enough for them to lose their grip on him as he got into the turbolift. "Computer Deck 6, programme crusher one!" he called out and the doors closed as they lunged at the door as he heard a faint thump at that and knew Will slammed his hand against the door as he fell against the wall in relief. 'Here we go, phase four now I have to drain the next dose, but I have to eat something.'

'God this keeps up and it's really going to get nasty in a minute.' he thought as he got to deck six and and headed for transporter room 3 and closed the door. "Computer deck 8, Commander Riker's quarters energize." he said as he disappeared just as MacGregor came charging into the room. "Crusher freeze!" he said as he ran to grab him as he disappeared from the room and he reappeared in his mentor's quarters.

"Not a second too soon right now, that was too close here, alright just relax, I have to eat something now. But first a gentle recharge at the moment." he said as he dug into the bag, yanked out a candy bar and two bottle of water and then grabbed his first aid kit, opened it and then pulled one of the dressings he made, a dose of painkillers and anti-inflammatories, and the adrenaline cocktail and got to work then.

As he wrapped his ankle, downed the doses with a drink of water and then started eating the candy bar, before he injected the dose into his arm then. As he waited as he felt the adrenaline starts shooting through his body, he smiled in relief as he then grabbed his lunch as he started eating then as he opened the second bottle of water. As he opened up the MRE to find a mixture of his favorite combination in sandwiches, fruits.

And vegetables in it then as he relaxed against the wall then. "Yeah alright this is enough to help, grab a quick candy bar, finish eating and then the last and final dose, they have my decoy dose, and they haven't seen my spare equipment yet either." he thought out loud as he waited for the run around to start a second time then as he started eating the entire meal he created then, before he stayed put for thirty minutes then.

'God, this is the first time I spotted that maniac since this started, who are you exactly, no never mind, whoever you are just stay the hell away from me and my brothers and sisters, stay the hell away from us.' he thought to himself as he looked at the image of them together after his graduation and him in his uniform, before he left for the academy as he sighed as he saw another of him and Will with Will's arm around him.

And remember Will's reaction to learning what Radue had in mind for him then as looked at them, Beverly, Deanna and Picard standing there and he nodded as he said it to her softly. 'Mom, I need you to protect me, if he's working for Radue, than my worst nightmare just came back with a vengeance now. I'm not losing you or the others, you're all I have left of our family, mom, I'm not losing you now., I'm getting you back now.'

"I'm not losing you, fight her!' he thought, feeling the fear shoot through him then as he leaned against the wall. 'Deck 8, I've got enough of a head start now to get this started a second time and from here it's just making sure they can't find me yet. Dad, don't worry grandpa, don't worry I'm making sure I break him out of this.' he thought gently as he stood up and left the room as he headed down the hall, quietly then.

Before seeing and dodging MacGregor and his team mate as he hid then in a turbolift and waited for them to pass by him and then kept going then. "Lal activate the turbolifts and turn off the systems that let Commander La Forge know they're being used, but send that information right now to Chief O'brien and the engineering crew." he said softly and the light blinked at him then in answer to that remark.

 **The Search Continued/ Riker's POV**

 **Riker's POV:**

"Riker to Bridge, we lost him a second time, and this time I think he may have sprained his ankle, because he's barely able to put any weight on it." Will said into his communicator. **_"Alright you find him, make sure he doesn't put any pressure on it, and if he's going to get another dose. But just make sure you can stop him this time, if that explains the clang we heard a bit ago now at the moment."_**

 ** _That dose isn't going to last and it's going to give out here if this keeps up right now."_** he heard from Beverly and nodded as he sighed to himself. 'I don't believe this, we've spent close to 20 hours looking for him and just as we end this. Then he escapes custody a second time and winds up getting hurt and the effects of whatever's wrong hit him before the ambush now and that dose is on the edge of crashing on him."

"Alright that's enough already of this at the moment, this is ending right now, wherever you're hiding you're not getting off the ship. So just calm down now son, just take it easy now, easy, take it easy.' he thought as the father in him took total control then as he thought it to the 19 year old while injecting a firm, but gentle tone into it. 'Damn it, Wesley this is going too far right now, if that last dose give out now, and righ now."

"And that's not if you take another and you're going to collapse here if you keep this up, now stop already right now. Just pull it over now, come on, just pull it over now, easy.' he thought gently as he snapped out the orders then. "Deck 6!" he said with a growl as he looked at Worf then. "What the hell is he thinking right now, we have the last dose. Where's he going to exactly?" he asked and Worf sighed as he said it to him.

"If the alarms kept going off in our quarters this morning, he's possibly hid his caches in one or all of our quarters right now." he told him and he nodded. "Than its trying to find out where exactly, but the five of us are all on deck 8 and 9 along with his. But we have his quarters blocked, that just leaves the five of us. We have to narrow that down." he said as they came out of the turbolift as MacGregor came running to them.

"I caught sight of him in transporter room 3, but I have no clue where he headed off to." he told him and he nodded. "Alright we'll deal with this, just keep an eye on the tracking monitor." he said and he looked at him. "But Sir.." he started to say and Will snapped at him. "That is an order lieutenant, do as I say and get to engineering now." he said sharply at him with a growl and he nodded as he left and Will sighed angrily then.

"Damn idiot, it's just us now, and with first he scares Wesley into locking the tunnel entrance system and that locks down the completely. If he's the reason Wesley was hiding in the tubes all this time, I'm keeping him out of the way and going after him myself now, but with the sextet and Porter and his team mate. Now blocking off the publics areas and his apartment, and now that we just got him out of the tubes now."

"We just have to track him down and he's anywhere from this floor to deck ten so we have to narrow that now. Alright spread out, we check our quarters and the surrounding floor for him. Just get ready for the final panic attack, if he thinks we're MacGregor, or just me, as I'm dressed in the same color he is, he's going to start panicking the second I catch him." he said and Worf nodded as they separated then at that remark.

'Come on son, don't do this, it's gone on long enough now, just calm down now, come on, just settle down.' he thought gently as he went to check Deanna's quarter's first and then over further up then as he checked out the floor as he waited. 'Wait, the me he knows is getting stronger, come on, but I..., no get out of my head, you're not getting your hands on my son!' he snapped at the alien persona that was infecting him then.

Not realizing it, the same exact effect was hitting the quintet as well as the parents of hi fellow hostages, as the good in them was getting stronger by the minute. 'No you're not getting your hands on him, we're not like you, stay away from my son, get out of my head right now, and stay from our kids.' They snapped together at the programmer that was controlling them as they thought it together to the young ensign then.

'Wes, son, if you're doing this to get us back, keep it up, we're not leaving you, come on, free us, just hang in there, but end this now, come on, we're not leaving you, just keep it up now, son, come on.' The group all thought together as they waited, knowing the young man was working over time then to get them freed from what was going on then, and knowing he was going to have be put on sabbatical as soon as he did.

 **Nobody's POV:**

As Wesley was headed down the hall the only thing he felt was fear then, as he froze and quickly hid in the alcove as he saw Worf round the corner then as he quickly moved further back into shadows. 'It's not MacGregor or Radue, but with them being controlled it's just as bad right now, I can't be taken yet, I just have to hold in there a bit longer now.' he thought as he kept quiet waiting for him to pass his hiding place.

As he heard the footsteps get louder and than fade then as they walked by his hiding place as he took off and then tripped and hit the floor. 'No not yet, I can't be caught yet.' he thought quickly as he got up as he heard footsteps come moving down the hall towards his position and he quickly got up and took off then as he quickly hid a second time. And, hearing the thud, Will turned around at that as he went in that direction.

As he moved over there, but upon arriving he saw an empty hallway then and nodded. 'The adrenaline surge is giving out and the pain in his ankle is beginning to take hold, I hear that a second time and I know it's going to lay him out now.' He thought, before heading further in that direction as he heard a second thunk and quickly ran up to the corner to see him lying on the floor as he tried to stand, before flinching.

As he grabbed his ankle and nodded as he got it then. 'That just ended this, his ankle or the spasms laid him out. Alright son just take it easy, it's done with it, it's over now, easy it's alright, just calm down its okay, just settle down now. Easy, easy, just settle down now.' he thought gently as he moved in slowly as he tried to stay behind him and knowing if he saw him the young man was likely to make another break for it then.

As he watched him try to get himself off the floor, before he collapsed and he sighed. 'Every ounce of energy has been injected into this. He needs that next dose. But he needs to be in sickbay later, alright son, that's enough of this now, you just drained what's left of your strength.' he said to him softly. 'No not yet, I need a few more minute, please.' he saw him thinking as he tried to get a second time and froze up.

Watching his fists clench tightly he knew that the muscles in his legs were spasming. 'Damn it, he's suffering spasms in his legs and he just sprained his ankle, what the hell is going on here. Alright easy son, easy, just take it easy, it's okay, it's okay.' he thought gently as he got directly behind him then as he got into position. Watching he saw him get up again as he quickly caught him at that as he caught him around the waist.

'No let me go, get off me, let me go.' he saw him thinking as he quickly pulled him into his arms, before he looked down at his arms and knew he realized he got caught by him or MacGregor. "Easy, calm down, shh." He said softly and at that the young man struggled to get free. 'Easy, easy, shh, calm down son.' he thought to him before feeling his position shift and looked down and felt his heart tighten as he said it sternly.

'He's about to try it again, no forget about it, don't even think about it son.' he thought as the young man got his legs under him and jerked free, before he caught him by the leg and yanked him back towards him. 'Alright that's enough already of this, calm down, shh easy, easy, calm down, shh." he thought to him gently as he pulled him back towards him and into his arms as he restrained him as he struggled to get free.

"Easy, easy, shh, calm down son, it's okay, it's okay, shh." he said to him gently as he felt him shaking, and gently rocked him as the dose started giving out, before Worf moved to them as Worf caught him, before he could make a third break for it as they both got a hold of him. 'Alright that's enough of this, calm down now, just settle down Wesley.' he saw Worf thinking and hid a nod of agreement to his thoughts.

'No guys, don't do this!' Wesley thought quickly, seeing his friends and mentors like this, he felt his heart like someone was ripping it apart. 'Their cover story for this is I'm paranoid, no but I'm beyond panicked right now. I know I'm stage acting like this, but this is too much right now, my parents, my family, my friends. No I'm not losing you or letting you go, I'm not losing you to her.' he thought as he finished that remark.

"Guys stop, fight it, fight her, don't do this.' he thought as he made one last attempt to get free then. 'Damn it, screw my ankle, I need to make this last a little longer. Data hurry it up, after this last burst, I have nothing left, make it fast.' he thought as got ready to try again. "No!" he snapped as he jerked free and bolted and Will went after him this time, as he thought if firmly as he charged after him.

'Damn it Wesley, you keep this up and that ankle is never going to heal, now that's enough of this.' he thought as he headed down the hall he took and realized it then. 'Oh god not again, if that adrenaline dose he took, before I caught sight of him gives out now, alright enough is enough, Wesley this is the end of the line now.' he thought as he said it. "Deck six, oh no, not again, alright that's enough of this right now."

"Alright Lieutenant, he's trying to get back into transporter room three, come on, before he can close the doors on us. He keeps this up and that ankle is going to be damaged permanently." he said and Worf nodded as they headed in that direction. 'Distraction, get him to focus on you, I'm coming in from behind." he said to him and he nodded, as Worf watched him as he was inputting the codes into the panel to get back to deck 6.

And then look up to see him and he quickly closed the door, but Worf gripped the door as he continued pressing the close button. Moving in from behind, Will watched him as he saw Worf had his attention on him as he thought it softly then. 'Don't think so Wesley, that's enough of this and your luck has finally run out in this game now, that's enough of this now.' Will thought as he moved in on him before getting behind him.

'Alright again, easy son, easy, the games are done, it's over.' he thought gently as he sprang and then caught him around the waist as he pulled him into his arms tightly. As he tried to get free, as he tightened both arms around him as he said it softly. "Alright that's enough, Wesley calm down." he said to him gently as Worf over rode the lock out and came into the room as they got a tight grip on him, and him into the turbolift.

As they got him to the bridge and into the captain's chair as Picard looked at him gently. "It's okay Wesley." she said and Will passed her the syringe. "We had it right, this was the back up dose, and it's still full, so he hadn't used it yet." he said and she nodded to him as Picard looked at him gently, though Wesley could see the self satisfied smirk of his programmer in his eyes and seeing the exact thoughts in that smirk.

'At last after fifteen hours, I finally have him, resistance is futile now child, and my plans for you far succeed what I have for them now.' he saw in his commander's eyes as he felt his heart pounding at that. 'Plans for me, what the hell does she want with me exactly, mom, guys don't do this, let me go, fight her.' he thought as he finished that to Data, knowing his android friend was on his way then to break her hold on the sextet.

'Data hurry up, she's got me, hurry!' he thought mentally as he tried to get free from the duo as he looked at him as he made eye contact with his mentor. 'I don't care what you try, you're never getting that thing off this ship. I just freed two more of your drones. And the others are freeing the entire ship. Are you sure I never reactivated Data, that's your biggest mistake, your arrogance lady.' he thought staring at him then.

 **Data:**

 ** _"You better hurry it up, they just caught him for real finally, Data."_** he heard from Miles O'Brien and he nodded as he charged to the turbolift as he said it if firmly. "Lal when I tell you to, deactivate the lights on the bridge." he said as he finished that. "Bridge." he said as he went to the top of the ship. "And my daughter, silent mode on the turbolift." he said and it beeped as he said it to himself then, his tone going stern at this.

'Evidently you didn't catch everything on board this ship if you're about to be caught off guard now just as your forcing my young friend to play your game. But I guarantee you, whatever plans you have for him are being over ridden. And when we get through with you there's no going back now. You're being incarcerated for attempting to hurt my young friends.' he thought with a firm mental growl of anger at this situation.

 **Nobody's POV:**

"You gave us quite the chase Mr. Crusher." he said and Wesley just stared at him. 'That's the programming talking Sir, you always called me by name, not by surname. You're practically my stepfather sir, you always called me by name all these years.' he thought bitterly then as he sat there." Dr. Crusher." Picard said and she passed the headset to him and he started struggling to get free from the duo as they held him to the chair.

As Worf caught his shoulder to keep him in the chair. "Hold him steady." Picard added and he gently caught his neck and hold his head still then. 'No, no, don't do this, let me go, don't do this.' he thought as he heard his mother's next remark then. "It's okay Wesley, it doesn't hurt, you'll like it. I promise you." she said and he swallowed at that as he looked at the sextet then, as he answered that remark mentally.

'Not if it destroys you, turns you into drones, you'd never do this if you're yourselves, I know you're in there. Mom, guys, please, don't do this, fight her, come back to me, fight her.' he thought, feeling his heart tearing as he thought it then. 'I know I'm stage acting here, but still this is too much right now, guys don't do this. I know you, my you, is getting stronger every minute, fight her.' he added as he tried to hold back his fear.

Feeling them get it into position around his head and just seeing his friends like this he felt his fear getting stronger by the minute as he closed his eyes. 'It effects you by going through the retinal, I can't let it take me, Data hurry up. You're never taking me alive Etana!' he thought as he heard Picard's next orders knowing they were about to force him to start playing it then. "No!" he said desperately as he tried to get free.

"His eyes." he heard from Picard, as he felt someone open his eyes as the game played it self out, he decided to miss several shots and fake the response, before he got hit with the first. 'No I'm not giving in." he thought quickly, just as the effects of the game were hitting him. "No!" he said weakly as the effects started getting to him as he heard his mother. "That's it Wesley, just let yourself go." she said as his will got weaker.

Hearing that through the door, Data said it. "Computer deactivate the helm console and the operations console. And when I tell you, turn out the lights." he said and the door beeped. Trying to fight the conditioning that was coming through the headset he tried to keep up the charade. 'No you're taking me completely, I will not be your pawn for whatever sick plan you have.' he thought to himself as Data answered that remark.

"Computer turn out the lights now." Data snapped out and it beeped at that. As the lights suddenly went out and the door opened then. And they all looked up as the same thought shot through all of them. 'What the, we have him how could he still be playing with the systems.' Wesley saw in their eyes as Will let him go as they got the answer to that question a minute later as they got the shock of their life.

As Data walked in as he hit each of them with several pulse light beams, watching as their eyes cleared then, as he did Wesley last of all. "Computer resume normal illumination." he called out then as Charlie shook his head at him and he nodded as he got it as he hit every adult in the room. Watching as they all snapped out of it, he saw Wesley sigh as he watched his friend relax completely, as he watched him carefully.

While Data deactivated the programming on them, Wesley sat forward and ripped the device off his head. "Mr. Worf, if you check the computer sensors, you will find a small enemy craft, on the starboard bow, secure it with our tractor beam and raise shields." Data said and Worf nodded to the orders as he moved to the console as he said it. As the man at the operations console turned around as he slumped forward at this.

"Engaging tractor beams." he said and Wesley quickly looked at Dayton as he moved to him and crouched in front of him as he leaned forward shaking as the adrenaline quit on him and Dayton quickly crouched in front of him as he gripped his arms to keep him from falling out of the chair as he said it to him."You alright man?" he asked him and he sighed as he told him the truth then as he said it to him, his exhaustion taking over.

"I don't know, but I think so, Charlie, what a day, that's it, we did it, Charlie I have nothing left right now. Two chase down in close to 20 hours, in this type of workout, I think I drained another fifth of the amount. I had another jolt in the shaft, before the search got shifted into stage four, but I have nothing left." he said and Dayton nodded. "How much energy did you drain this time?" he asked and Wesley sighed as he said it.

"What energy I had from this, this morning, is completely gone now, I took your father's medical prescription for this, but I don't know how much I drained now. But I'm glad you played the part so well right now, because have the duo freed from her control here, did it work. Did she not realize I got the drop on her by reversing the ambush, because the sextet are free now." he said and Dayton nodded to him gently as he went further.

"Yeah we pulled it off though they had Robin, they never realized I'm the plant all this time, she didn't realize I'm the plant, we did it. Nor did they realize that Lal was doing back up here either. But four young crew members. and we played the opponent, through our crew members so easily, she never suspected a thing in this right now." he said and Wesley nodded as Dayton gave him a hug and he sighed at that.

Burying his head into his shoulder, Data watched as the young man was trying to comfort his friend, and knowing he drained every ounce of energy he had. 'Wesley, I know you've finally over done it, but this time, it's I've got to remove you from active duty. And when they hear why exactly, it's they're not going to take it well.' he thought with a gentle sigh as he listened to their conversation then gently, as he heard what his friend told him.

"Alright you told me that you both transferred up here for your rotation, but are you staying or you getting stationed somewhere else?" Wesley asked and the other boy smiled as he answered him. "Robin and I got assigned to the enterprise. We're staying and this was supposed to be a surprise that Brand set up for you, and we were hoping to make contact with you when you returned, before this happened at the time."

"Jesus man, you look like you've just been put through the workout from hell, you're drenched in sweat right now. I know you were on the go for twenty hours, but what the hell was in your system to cause you to need to drain it like this right now. I mean we both know what happens when separated from our parents at the academy. But this, what is going on?" he asked him and he sighed as he answered him softly.

"Before I joined the academy, the commander had me training on the holodeck, race track, just getting the exercise I needed at the cardiovascular exercises that was enough to drain the caffeine for the previous three years. But down there I don't have that luxary, four months of this, the sudden comedown by doing it this way this is enough to drain me completely." he said and Dayton nodded as he answered him gently to that.

"But what's the deal with Hanson, because he's acting like a real jerk and the sextet have just sentenced him, if this is the second time to being barred from the recreation center and the holodeck for the next six months." he said and Wesley sighed in exasperation as he answered him at that gently as he said it. "What did he do this time to get that sentence, bro, Robin only gave me vague details, regarding this?"

"But I need to know everything here, because they said if he got in trouble for another speedball effect and altercation with another cadet, he was losing his scholarship and having to work his way through school?" he asked and the other boy sighed as he answered him. "I take it this was because you busted him for the rumors he made up about you and was speedballing last year?" he asked and Wesley nodded to him.

"Seeing he had another version of you wandering around the ship and that I was showing everything you did when on the job. He tried to start with whatever rumors that threw his friends off the ship. But when Jake reported to me he'd been drunk, and was speedballing, I busted him this time and a fight broke out in the hall. And whatever you pulled to get them up there I did this same, but this time he broke his wrist."

"By breaking the panel, and I took several lacerations down my arms as a result of the panel shattering this time. Hearing my side of it, again, the trio, including Aunt Beverly, if you're my best friend now and we're like this around each other. They were ticked off that this time I needed a trip to sickbay, because I was injured, the glass had sliced into a vein, and I needed to be in the E.R." he said and Wesley nodded with a furious look.

"Data told me he was on medical watch and light duty, was this the added reason as to why, because Derek never paid attention in health class. But you, Jake, Robin and I are all Starfleet born and we know every facet of science and engineering to pull this off. Because if he was ticked Jake squealed on him then he knows that the second mom heard this he's in trouble after whoever Marks was to him, gave me a concussion."

"Hanson created some sick rumor regarding my bond with the captain, and I can tell you that truth later, but he got busted last year. As for why, it's for not watching two kids and a practical joke that nearly resulted in a lethal conclusion. That was the sentence our parents and the sextet chose last year. But he just got arrested for a third time in the last two months." he repeated and the other boy shook his head as he answered him.

"Yeah, alright let me take a guess here, but if the commander said he started up again with his next student, and said fight turns into a physical altercation, he lost his position on the college program here on the ship?" he asked and Wesley nodded. "Lovely, that blasted idiot, well like you, I was ready to take him apart right now, because that issue of his trying to start trouble is wearing thin on everyone's patience."

"Though evidently he's pissed that his rumors got him busted by the senior staff after whoever they threw off the ship just landed you in the emergency room, yet again. And I heard that clang a bit ago, just what did you do if we heard that exactly?" he asked and he hid a chuckle. "The commander had me training from two flights and never allowed me to make that jump further the 20ft on the holodeck at the time."

"But in emergency situations like this..." he said and the other boy chuckled as he finished his sentence. "You have to get a bit more reckless than they'd have liked in this case at the moment. Yeah me too, I saw the look on the doctor's face a few weeks ago, when she was looking at a picture of the eight of you and a blond haired young woman. God, it's days like this, I swear it doesn't pay to let your guard down and with that."

"I should have joined you guys in the lab and we'd do this together at the moment. But do that and they get to me, so I chose the next best thing here. But if we'd had done this together it's the act of working over time and I don't doubt Robin would have yanked playing the bait card. I pull the secondary one and gave you enough time get under cover before this started at the time at the moment, before they busted you."

"And before this turned into a manhunt earlier." he said and Wesley nodded in agreement to that. "Yeah I know that, but too little, too late right now, though at the current moment with you also being involved we just scored our first victory here last night. You have got to get the recklessness under control at the moment, before you give them a heart attack." he said to him and he nodded to that as he answered him bemused.

"I think the same is said for you, if the commander was that annoyed when he dragged you in here. Because I've never seen him that ticked off when he did." he said and Wesley nodded. "Only way to break the added conditioning because she enforced it then, but to get their parental instincts to start going crazy. He's my godfather, but I just scared him into getting our him breaking through now, but I think I better explain this."

"After mom was transferred, and I decided to stay she put him, Counselor, the captain and Commander La Forge in charge of taking care of me. The nurse you met, Lieutenant Michaels, she was my medical guardian and I knew everyone for years, because 80% are from year 1 and year 2, Charlie. Butyou just got to know them, but I had to be the one to do it, because I knew them better then you do." he said and Dayton nodded gently.

"If you're my team mate now, there's something that doesn't make sense here right now, if you were getting concerned when you said that last night. What's going to happen with him this exhausted right now, by that I mean the captain. If you said that to them, and with their bodies beyond worn out right now. As you and I just dealt with the alnighter from hell, and you're recovering from the caffeine burst you just drained now."

"But what's the damn side effect in this case if the captain is most at risk?" he asked and he explained that. "He did a..., oh no, alright with you being like me, if you're my total equal and team mate, try to stay focused here. The captain did a mind meld with a Vulcan suffering Bendii syndrome, and the side effects of that is that if he loses total concentration the added anger, jealousy, envy and aggression in his feelings."

"But that disease unleashes the buried feelings as you let loose everything you're feeling, as the tempers start getting frayed even before you finally lose yours. Whatever Derek told you, is not true, but I caught him telling this rumor to his friends and they're all just like his cousin, Colin Marks. But Colin and Derek, along with their friends created a rumor about me, mom and the captain after the virus we got hit by."

"That virus was connected to the control and the terminal that forcefield was covering, but our original security chief said what happened was never brought up again. And a trio of medical ensigns broke the pact in hearing range of Colin, he started asking questions about it. And then twisted it to own version, told Derek and they spread it around as my mother was having an affair with the captain and I got in on quid pro quo."

"And ever since I had to get around that false image So with that in mind, your buried feelings of frustration, resentment and anger are going to break down the front door here. Though this disease is good for something try not to push me too hard right now, because I just drained a dangerous amount of my strength here. But he starts another fight between us and him and his buddies we go series problems, later, now."

"And his emotions are going to start hitting one or both of us, so try to block him out, with them beginning to come out of it now. We can gauge each other's strengths on the training pad later though." he said and the other boy nodded. "Are you saying that whatever caused you to do it this long is the catalyst and to help you recover emotionally, I'm going to, under the influence of that mind meld."

"Have to push you to let it out, before you take it out on someone, if they ask a stupid question here?" he asked and he nodded. "Yeah that's what I'm saying, Hanson was passing off some crude rumors regarding my mother and the captain off to a quintet of college age versions of himself. And that resulted in me letting him have it in the hall, before I got into the academy, but this time it's regarding the near loss of another parent, mom's all I got left of my family, in my family, though the sextet are adoptive."

"But she just ripped apart what progress I made before I left, so don't push too hard on me." he said and Dayton nodded, as, at that, Data ended the conversation between them. "Charlie, Wes, I understand you two are trying to get used to working together here, but this is neither the time nor place. For this conversation at the moment you two, and you, Wes, stay put right now." he said to him and he nodded to him gently.

"Commander, the damn side effect of those things in the captain's case is whatever caused that mind meld to be needed now is going to have it start getting erratic so with that. If it starts dragging out the alter ego, or just the anger, and resentment in these situations like whatever happened last year. I can't control what it is I'm saying here to him and neither can he, with him this exhausted." Dayton said and Data nodded to him.

"At the moment our situation went from bad to worse right now Data, as to why, whatever this is, if this was the very start of it. And ending it like this seems way too easy right now as well, so if we have a piece of that conspiracy on the ship, we have got to go to code red level V, medical emergency. Because if I'm the target, she's turned me into a walking time bomb, though when that fuse is lit that we don't know right now."

"Like that character was testing us when Dr. Pulaski was here and we ended up in the middle of a science experiment. I think this is just the beginning, but we won the first round, and she's possibly going to try twice more, before giving it up finally now. Though at the current moment, this is not one planet or another, but possibly an alliance right now and it's K'taris, Aldea and Cardassia, as this is revenge regarding Maxwell."

"But I'm not taking chances right now, it's in the medical departments hands as of now, but tell her what I told you Data. But I'm looking at an attempt to destroy the federation from within, by using me or us junior crew members to do it right now. By that I mean up until now, I never used it, Charlie hasn't been exposed and we're having this turn into the narrator on the Puppet Masters and it's gone from to worse."

"But the son of a crew members gets turned into a walking time bomb and is the intrument to get those into the federation and starting with the academy now. I"m pulling the medical emergency card right now, but if those pills I mentioned are part of it, it's going to be going in the direction now. Of screwing with my concentration and as to how now, it's by having an officer that looks like my own personal boogie man."

"Here on the ship and with us taking her and her crew to 67, we're not getting undocked till the danger is past, if that's what this is." Wesley added and he nodded firmly as he felt his feelings turn from concerned to worried at the wording knowing that what his young friends had done was just the beginning of a very long and dangerous ordeal that was likely to kill his surrogate son, and knowing he done it in this condition then.

It was likely to turn into the very same situation that their predecessors had and it was likely to kill his friend as he'd risked his life to prevent the game from getting off the ship. As a true officer in starfleet would have, and knowing it was only going to get worse in their opinion from what was to come then. But to him, he knew that the situation was likely going to put his young friend in the emergency room or kill him.

If the situation got any worse. 'Etana I swear to the maker, you try anything else regarding my young friends and crew members you won't have to worry about my harming you, because his mother and the rest of the crew he's connected to will when they learn you did this like the Goa'uld and used an innocent young man as a Trojan horse.' he thought with a firm growl to that as he waited for the bridge crew to return to themselves.


End file.
